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Glite Dictionary
Rankine

Rankine

9.9
A unit of temperature equal to one degree Fahrenheit above the lowest possible temperature
  • noun
  • /ˈræŋkɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Rankine
  • To convert the temperature to Rankine, you add 459.67 to the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.

Examples

  • At absolute zero, the temperature on the Rankine scale is zero degrees.

  • The temperature of the gas was measured in Rankine to determine its efficiency in the cycle.

  • Electricity: Rankine engines are not highly efficient, but there is a huge reserve of low-cost heat in a solar pond.

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Compounds

Rankine scale
  • Specialized
9.2

A temperature scale that starts at absolute zero and uses degrees the same size as Fahrenheit

Surface Forms

Rankine singular
Rankines plural

Etymology

The word Rankine is named after the Scottish engineer and physicist William John Macquorn Rankine, who worked on heat and temperature. A Rankine is a unit on the Rankine scale, which is like Fahrenheit but starts at 'absolute zero', so zero Rankine is the coldest possible temperature.