reciprocal ohm
- noun
- /rɪˈsɪprəkl oʊm/
- Specialized
:
ohm recíproco
- One reciprocal ohm is now officially called a siemens, but both names mean the same thing.
Examples
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He measured the conductance in reciprocal ohms.
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The old circuit diagrams listed conductance in reciprocal ohm units.
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Instrument readings in reciprocal ohms are less common in modern electrical engineering.
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The circuit had a resistance of one reciprocal ohm.
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Conductors with high conductivity are measured in reciprocal ohms, indicating their efficiency in allowing electrical flow.
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In older textbooks, electrical conductance is often expressed in reciprocal ohms before the standardization to siemens.
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The electrical engineer calculated the total conductance in reciprocal ohms to ensure optimal circuit performance.
Synonyms
12
6.0
A unit that measures how easily electricity flows through something, equal to one per ohm
1
7.5
A unit that shows how well electricity moves through something
A unit that shows how easily electricity flows, equal to one divided by an ohm
Surface Forms
Morphology
The term 'reciprocal ohm' directly combines 'reciprocal' (one-over) with 'ohm' (a unit of resistance), so the meaning — the unit equal to 1/ohm (i.e. conductance, siemens) — is compositionally predictable. While technical, this mathematical naming pattern is transparent and cross-linguistically regular, so a learner who knows both constituent words can infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The noun reciprocal ohm comes from measuring electric flow: it is the reciprocal or flip of an ohm, which measures how hard it is for electricity to flow. So think of turning an ohm upside down to measure 'how easy' the electricity moves, and that is why reciprocal ohm means the same as 'siemens'.