(Also called heat conductivity, thermometric conductivity.) The ratio of the thermal conductivity k of a substance to the product of its specific heat c and its density ρ:
For a gas, c is the specific heat at constant pressure, cp. The thermal diffusivity determines the rate of heating given the temperature distribution according to an equation, which for one spatial dimension is
See also diffusivity, kinematic viscosity.
List, R. J. 1951. Smithsonian Meteorological Tables. 6th rev. ed., . 394–395.
For a gas, c is the specific heat at constant pressure, cp. The thermal diffusivity determines the rate of heating given the temperature distribution according to an equation, which for one spatial dimension is
At a temperature of 0°C, the thermal diffusivity for air is 1.9 x 10-5 m2 s-1. At other temperatures, the ratio μ/K is nearly constant, where μ is the dynamic viscosity.
See also diffusivity, kinematic viscosity.
List, R. J. 1951. Smithsonian Meteorological Tables. 6th rev. ed., . 394–395.
