Meaning & use
ergs unit
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Meaning
phrasecountabletechnicalphysics
A unit of energy in the centimeter-gram-second system, equal to one dyne acting over one centimeter.
Grammar: Used mainly in science writing; the plural is 'ergs units' only when talking about several different units, which is rare.
Patterns
- measured in ergs
- an energy of X ergs
Old physics papers often give small energies in ergs rather than joules.
One joule is equal to ten million ergs, so the erg is a very small unit.
The textbook asks you to convert the result from ergs into joules.
Common combinations
- measured in ergs
- Before SI units became standard, heat and work were often measured in ergs.
- convert ergs to joules
- To compare the numbers, convert ergs to joules first.
- a unit of energy
- The erg is a unit of energy in the older CGS system.
- CGS system
- The erg belongs to the CGS system, along with the centimeter and the gram.
Synonyms and how they differ
- joule
- The joule is the modern SI unit of energy and is much larger than the erg.
- dyne-centimeter
- This is the same quantity as one erg, but it describes it as a force times a distance.
Word family
- erg noun
- The single unit of energy that this phrase refers to.
Commonly confused: ergs unit or ergometer?
ergs unit vs ergometer
An ergometer is a machine that measures work, especially a rowing machine, and is not the same as the unit.
Practice
Which sentence uses the energy unit correctly?
Choose one answer.
Energy amounts are counted with the plural 'ergs' after 'in', as in 'measured in ergs'. 'In erg' is wrong because a countable unit needs a plural or an article, and 'ergs unit' is not a standard phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ergs unit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.