Mahutuvus

Mahutuvus (Estonian for capacity) is a property describing the maximum amount of material, energy, or information that a given object or system can hold. It is used across fields to denote how much a container can hold, how much data a device can store, or how much energy a storage system can deliver.

In physical terms, mahutuvus equals the interior volume of a container or the maximum mass it is designed to hold. It is commonly expressed in litres or cubic metres for liquids and gases, and in kilograms or tonnes for solids. Manufacturers publish nominal or rated capacities; the usable capacity may be lower due to manufacturing tolerances, temperature, and filling conditions.

In information technology, mahutuvus describes data capacity, usually measured in bytes. Practical units progress from kilobytes to megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes, and beyond. In computing systems, capacity can be affected by formatting, file system overhead, and data structure.

In energy storage, battery or supercapacitor capacity is given in ampere-hours (Ah) or watt-hours (Wh). The stated capacity is the amount of energy that can be withdrawn under specified conditions; actual deliverable energy decreases with discharge rate, temperature, age, and cycling.

Understanding mahutuvus is essential for design, procurement, safety, and cost considerations. It involves distinguishing nominal or rated capacity from practical or usable capacity and accounting for environmental and operational factors.