Home > Terms > English, UK (UE) > Rayleigh number

Rayleigh number

Expresses the ratio of the destabilising effects of buoyancy to the stabilising effects of diffusion of heat and momentum. Explicitly, Ra=geta Delta T H^3/( ukappa) in which g is the acceleration due to gravity, eta is the thermal expansion coefficient, Delta T is the temperature difference, h is the vertical length scale, u is the kinematic viscosity, and kappa is the thermal diffusivity. The Rayleigh number is usually used to classify the stability of a fluid column heated from below, convection resulting when some relatively small value is exceeded.

This is auto-generated content. You can help to improve it.
0
Improve it
More
Collect to Blossary

Other Languages:

More

Member comments

You have to log in to post to discussions.

Related terms

number
Language; Grammar

Change of word form indicating one person or thing (singular) or more than one person or thing (plural).

number
Engineering; Electronic engineering

The mathematical representation of a quantity. It is generally used in electronics to denote coefficients, magnitudes, component values, frequencies, etc.

number
Mathematics; Number theory

One of a series of symbols that occur in order and are used for counting. Numbers other than zero can be positive or negative.

number
Psychology; Behavior analysis

Brief expression for the number of responses already emitted in executing a ratio, especially as these function as stimuli. (E.g., "number as reinforcer" means that the ...

number
Software; Computer; Operating systems

In AppleScript, a synonym for the classes integer and real .

placer
Earth science; Oceanography

A layer of minerals laid down by flowing water. People who pan for gold search through placers.

reef
Earth science; Oceanography

An underwater ridge of rock that rises up to or near the surface. Reefs are important ecosystems that provide home for sea life.

aquascape
Earth science; Oceanography

A scenic view of a body of water; an area having a natural or constructed aquatic feature (as a pond or fountain).

equatorial rossby wave
Earth science; Oceanography

An equatorially trapped westward propagating wave that moves due to isentropic gradients of potential vorticity. The meridional velocity of the n'th mode of these waves has the ...

blackbody radiator
Earth science; Oceanography

A hypothetical, ideal radiator that totally absorbs and reemits all energy incident upon it. Actual objects only approach this ideal.

shear instability
Earth science; Oceanography

An instability of an unbounded parallel shear flow to the growth and nonlinear development of waves with phase speed in the along flow direction approximately equal to the speed ...

Terms in the News

Featured Terms

Harry8L
  • 0

    Terms

  • 0

    Blossaries

  • 1

    Followers

Industry/Domain: People Category: Sportspeople

Stacy Lewis

Stacy Lewis (born February 16, 1985) is an American professional golfer on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. She defeated Ai Miyazato at the 2013 RR Donnelley ...

Contributor

Featured blossaries

Lego

Category: Entertainment   4 6 Terms

Flight Simulators for PC

Category: Entertainment   1 2 Terms

Browers Terms By Category

TERMS

SOCIAL

EXTRAS

SOLUTIONS