| efficiency | 1. The quality of being efficient or producing an effect or effects; efficient power; effectual agency. "The manner of this divine efficiency being far above us." (Hooker) 2. <mechanics> The ratio of useful work to energy expended. Efficiency of a heat engine, the ratio of the work done an engine, to the work due to the heat supplied to it. Origin: L. Efficientia. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| efficiency, organizational | The capacity of an organization, institution, or business to produce desired results with a minimum expenditure of energy, time, money, personnel, materiel, etc. (12 Dec 1998) |
| carnot efficiency | <radiobiology> Maximum possible efficiency for conversion of thermal energy to useful work (such as electrical energy), as determined by the laws of thermodynamics. The Carnot efficiency (eta) for conversion of thermal to electric energy (for example, the upper limit on efficiency of a steam turbine) is given by (eta) = [ (T-hot) - (T-cold) ] / (T-hot). That is, one gets the efficiency from the values of the input and output temperatures (measured in Kelvin). (09 Oct 1997) |
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| visual efficiency | A rating used in computing compensation for industrial ocular injuries, incorporating measurements of central acuity, visual field, and ocular motility. (05 Mar 2000) |
| combustion efficiency | Actual heat produced by combustion divided by the total heat potential of the fuel consumed (17 Dec 1998) |
| heat transfer efficiency | Useful heat output released to the room divided by the actual heat produced in the firebox (17 Dec 1998) |
| quantum efficiency | The number of photons required for the formation of one oxygen molecule in photosynthesis. Varies from 8-14 depending on the system used to measure it. (18 Nov 1997) |
| thermal efficiency | <radiobiology> Ratio of the electric power produced by a power plant to the original amount of heat produced. This measures the efficiency with which the thermal energy is converted to electricity. (09 Oct 1997) |
| transformation efficiency | The number of bacterial cells that uptake and express plasmid DNA divided by the mass of plasmid used (in transformants/microgram). (09 Oct 1997) |