The variation of thermal conductivity of a metal with temperature is often correlated using an expression of the form K = K0 + at, where, K is the thermal conductivity and T is the temperature (in °K). The units of 'a' in SI system will be A)W/m.k B)W/m C)W/m.K² D)None, 'a' is just a number

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The units of 'a' must ensure that when multiplied by temperature (T, in Kelvin), the result has units of thermal conductivity (K), which is W/m.K. Since T is in Kelvin, to maintain the units of K, 'a' must have units of W/m.K^2, ensuring that 'aT' has units of W/m.K.

The Variation of Thermal Conductivity of a Metal with Temperature