British thermal unit

British thermal unit
the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 lb. (0.4 kg) of water 1°F. Abbr.: Btu, BTU, B.t.u., B.T.U., B.th.u.
[1875-80]

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▪ unit of measurement
      a measure of the quantity of heat, defined since 1956 as approximately equal to 1,055 joules (joule), or 252 gram calories. It was defined formerly as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water 1° F. The definition was changed because it was dependent on the initial temperature of the water. Gas utilities frequently use a larger unit, the therm, defined as 100,000 BTU, as a measure of gas consumption.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • British Thermal Unit — Pour les articles homonymes, voir BTU. Le British Thermal Unit (abrégé en Btu ou BTU) est une unité d énergie anglo saxonne qui est définie par la quantité de chaleur nécessaire pour élever la température d une livre anglaise d eau d un degré °F… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • British thermal unit — n. a unit of heat equal to about 252 calories; quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit: abbrev. Btu …   English World dictionary

  • British thermal unit —   [ brɪtɪʃ θəːməl juːnɪt], Einheitenzeichen BTU, auch B. Theodor U. oder B. th. und, in Großbritannien verwendete Einheit der Wärmeenergie: diejenige Wärmemenge, die erforderlich ist, um ein Pound Wasser bei der Temperatur 39,2 ºF und bei einem… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • British thermal unit — n the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit at a specified temperature (as 39°F) abbr. Btu * * * (BTU) the amount of heat necessary to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree …   Medical dictionary

  • British thermal unit — (B.T.U., BTU, Btu) The amount of heat required to raise a pound of water one degree Fahrenheit …   Black's law dictionary

  • British thermal unit — (B.T.U., BTU, Btu) The amount of heat required to raise a pound of water one degree Fahrenheit …   Black's law dictionary

  • British thermal unit — Pour les articles homonymes, voir BTU. Unité d énergie, BTU Le British Thermal Unit (abrégé en Btu ou BTU) est une unité d énergie anglo saxonne qui est définie par la quantité de chaleur nécessaire pour élever la température d une livre anglaise …   Wikipédia en Français

  • British thermal unit — Einheit Norm Angloamerikanisches Maßsystem Einheitenname British thermal unit Einheitenzeichen BTU Dimensionsname Energie Dimensionssymbol …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • British thermal unit — The British thermal unit (BTU or Btu) is a unit of energy used in the power, steam generation, heating and air conditioning industries. Although it is still used unofficially in metric English speaking countries (such as Canada, the United… …   Wikipedia

  • British thermal unit — Equivalent E*quiv a*lent ([ e]*kw[i^]v [.a]*lent), n. 1. Something equivalent; that which is equal in value, worth, weight, or force; as, to offer an equivalent for damage done. [1913 Webster] He owned that, if the Test Act were repealed, the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • British thermal unit — (Btu or BTU or BThU)    a unit of heat energy defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. In America the British thermal unit is sometimes called the heat unit. In defining the… …   Dictionary of units of measurement

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