thermal conductivity

American  

noun

Physics.

1. the amount of heat per unit time per unit area that can be conducted through a plate of unit thickness of a given material, the faces of the plate differing by one unit of temperature.

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thermal conductivity British  

noun

1. Sometimes shortened to: conductivity.   λ.   k.  a measure of the ability of a substance to conduct heat, determined by the rate of heat flow normally through an area in the substance divided by the area and by minus the component of the temperature gradient in the direction of flow: measured in watts per metre per kelvin

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thermal conductivity Scientific  

1. A measure of the ability of a material to transfer heat. Given two surfaces on either side of the material with a temperature difference between them, the thermal conductivity is the heat energy transferred per unit time and per unit surface area, divided by the temperature difference. It is measured in watts per degree Kelvin.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thermal conductivity

By combining thermal conductivity measurements with neutron scattering data, the team was able to directly connect the dramatic increase in heat flow to changes in the atomic vibrations inside the crystal.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

The late Professor Joseph Heremans of Ohio State designed the thermal conductivity experiments and guided doctoral candidate Delaram Rashadfar through the analysis.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

As electrical conductivity rose, thermal conductivity dropped, and vice versa.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 15, 2026

When tested, these high-purity samples demonstrated a remarkable thermal conductivity above 2,100 W/mK -- surpassing not only earlier experimental results but also the theoretical ceiling itself.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 12, 2025

The electrical conductivity of crystals also varies with the direction, and bears the same relation to the symmetry as the thermal conductivity.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 7 "Crocoite" to "Cuba" by Various