An erg is the unit of energy and mechanical work in the centimetre-gram-second (CGS) system of units, symbol "erg". Its name is derived from the Greek ergon, meaning "work".^[1]

An erg is the amount of work done by a force of one dyne exerted for a distance of one centimetre. In the CGS base units, it is equal to one gram centimetre-squared per second squared (g·cm²/s²). It is thus equal to 1 × 10⁻⁷ joules or 100 nanojoules (nJ) in SI units.

1 erg = 10⁻⁷ joule

1 erg = 624.15 GeV = 6.2415  × 10¹¹ eV

1 erg = 1 dyn cm.

[edit] Measuring devices

Any device used to measure energy in units of erg is called an ergometer. Such devices are commonly found on exercise equipment. Some portable types can be mounted on bicycles to measure the rider's energy expenditure. One experimental device called the Power Pacer was used in the cross-country Race Across America^[2] by a cycling team (see Team Strawberry) to monitor each rider's power output and energy expenditure. Another, the SRM gained some popularity when it was used by world famous Tour De France winner Greg LeMond. Later spin-offs were the more affordable Power Tap (1998, Tune Corp., purchased by Graber Products in late 2000) and Polar S-710 (2001). ^[3]

[edit] References