Erg in Physics: 10 Things You Need to Know

What is an Erg?

An erg (symbol: erg) is a unit of energy in the centimeter-gram-second (CGS) system of units. It is defined as the work done by a force of one dyne acting over a distance of one centimeter.

$$1 \text{ erg} = 1 \text{ dyne} \cdot 1 \text{ cm}$$

Conversion to Other Energy Units

The erg is a very small unit of energy. It is often more convenient to use other units, such as the joule (J) or the electronvolt (eV). The following conversion factors can be used:

$$1 \text{ erg} = 10^{-7} \text{ J}$$

$$1 \text{ erg} = 6.242 \times 10^{11} \text{ eV}$$

Applications of Ergs

Ergs are commonly used in physics to measure small amounts of energy. Some examples of applications include:

• The energy of a photon of light
• The energy of a chemical bond
• The energy of a nuclear reaction

Interesting Facts About Ergs

• 1 erg is about the energy required to lift a small apple one centimeter.
• The energy of a single calorie is about 4.184 × 10^7 ergs.
• The energy of a nuclear explosion is about 10^24 ergs.

Tables

Tips and Tricks

• When converting between energy units, it is important to keep track of the powers of 10.
• It is often helpful to use a calculator to convert between energy units.
• Ergs can be used to measure very small amounts of energy.

How to Step-by-Step Approach

1. Define the problem.
2. Convert the energy to ergs.
3. Solve the problem.
4. Convert the answer back to the original units.

Conclusion

Ergs are a useful unit of energy for measuring small amounts of energy. They are commonly used in physics to measure the energy of photons, chemical bonds, and nuclear reactions.