Soojusejuhtivus

Soojusejuhtivus, also known as thermal conductivity, is a measure of a material's ability to conduct heat. It is defined as the quantity of heat that passes in a unit of time through a plate of the material, in a direction normal to a surface of unit area, due to a unit temperature gradient under steady-state conditions. The thermal conductivity of a material is typically denoted by the symbol k and is expressed in watts per meter-kelvin (W/m·K).

Thermal conductivity is influenced by several factors, including the material's structure, temperature, and the presence of impurities or defects. Materials with high thermal conductivity, such as metals, are efficient conductors of heat, while those with low thermal conductivity, such as insulators, are poor conductors. The thermal conductivity of a material can also change with temperature, with some materials becoming more conductive at higher temperatures and others less.

Soojusejuhtivus is an important property in various fields, including engineering, materials science, and physics. It is used to design and optimize heat transfer systems, such as heat exchangers, refrigerators, and electronic cooling systems. In geology, thermal conductivity is used to study the thermal properties of rocks and soils, which is important for understanding heat flow in the Earth's crust. In medicine, thermal conductivity is used to study the thermal properties of biological tissues, which is important for understanding heat transfer in the body.