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Related Concept Videos

Quantifying Heat02:46

Quantifying Heat

Thermal Energy Microscopically, thermal energy is the kinetic energy associated with the random motion of atoms and molecules. Temperature is a quantitative measure of “hot” or “cold”, which depends on the amount of thermal energy. When the atoms and molecules in an object are moving or vibrating quickly, they have a higher average kinetic energy (KE) (or higher thermal energy), and the object is perceived as “hot”, or it is described as being at a higher temperature. When the atoms and...
Thermal Stress01:09

Thermal Stress

If the temperature of an object is changed while it is prevented from expanding or contracting, the object is subjected to stress. The stress is compressive if the object expands in the absence of constraint and tensile if it contracts. This stress resulting from temperature change is known as thermal stress. It can be quite large and can cause damage. To avoid this stress, engineers may design components so they can expand and contract freely. For instance, on highways, gaps are deliberately...
Thermal expansion and Thermal stress: Problem Solving01:27

Thermal expansion and Thermal stress: Problem Solving

San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge is exposed to temperatures ranging from -15 °C to 40 °C. At its coldest, the main span of the bridge is 1275 m long. Assuming that the bridge is made entirely of steel, what is the change in its length between these temperatures?
To solve the problem, first, identify the known and unknown quantities. The initial length (L) of the bridge is 1275 m, the coefficient of linear expansion (α) for steel is 12 x 10-6/°C, and the change in temperature (ΔT) is 55 °C.
Temperature and Thermal Equilibrium01:11

Temperature and Thermal Equilibrium

Heat and temperature are essential concepts for everyone every day. The study of heat and temperature is part of an area of physics known as thermodynamics. It is not always easy to distinguish heat and temperature.
The concept of temperature has evolved from the common concepts of hot and cold. The scientific definition of temperature explains more than just our sense of hot and cold. Temperature is operationally defined as the quantity measured with a thermometer. Furthermore, temperature is...
Thermodynamics: Activity Coefficient01:24

Thermodynamics: Activity Coefficient

Activity is the measure of the effective concentration of the species in solution. It can be expressed as the product of the molar concentration of the species and its activity coefficient. The activity coefficient is a dimensionless quantity and depends on the total ionic strength of the solution.
The activity coefficient is a measure of the deviation from ideal behavior. When the ionic strength of the solution is minimal, the activity coefficient of an ionic species is close to unity, making...
Thermal Sigmatropic Reactions: Overview01:16

Thermal Sigmatropic Reactions: Overview

Sigmatropic rearrangements are a class of pericyclic reactions in which a σ bond migrates from one part of a π system to another. These are intramolecular rearrangements where the total number of σ and π bonds remain unchanged.
Sigmatropic shifts are classified based on an order term [i, j ], where i and j indicate the number of atoms across which each end of the σ bond migrates. Below are examples of a [3,3] sigmatropic shift in 1,5-hexadiene, referred to as...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2026

Characterization of Thermal Transport in One-dimensional Solid Materials
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Characterization of Thermal Transport in One-dimensional Solid Materials

Published on: January 26, 2014

UTCI--why another thermal index?

Gerd Jendritzky1, Richard de Dear, George Havenith

  • 1Meteorological Institute, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. gerd.jendritzky@meteo.uni-freiburg.de

International Journal of Biometeorology
|December 22, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Existing thermal environment assessment methods have shortcomings. The Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) was developed using advanced models and multidisciplinary collaboration for standardized, physiologically relevant human biometeorology.

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Area of Science:

  • Human biometeorology
  • Environmental science
  • Physiology

Background:

  • Current thermal environment assessment methods, particularly simple indices, are inadequate for public weather services, health, urban planning, and climate research.
  • Advanced heat budget models developed since the 1960s highlight the limitations of existing procedures.
  • A need exists for a standardized, physiologically relevant index to assess thermal stress.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) addressing the shortcomings of existing thermal assessment procedures.
  • To create a new index based on advanced thermo-physiological and heat exchange models.
  • To standardize applications in human biometeorology for comparable and relevant research.

Main Methods:

  • Development of UTCI based on an advanced multi-node thermoregulation model (Fiala's FPC model).
  • Collaboration of multidisciplinary experts in thermal physiology, mathematical modeling, occupational medicine, and meteorology.
  • Coupling the FPC model with a clothing model that accounts for behavioral adaptation to environmental temperature.
  • Validation of the FPC model with extensive, previously unused data.

Main Results:

  • The Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) was derived conceptually as an equivalent temperature.
  • UTCI represents the isothermal air temperature eliciting the same physiological response (strain) to environmental stressors (air temperature, wind, radiation, humidity).
  • The developed index is based on contemporary scientific understanding of human thermoregulation and heat exchange.

Conclusions:

  • The Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) provides a standardized and physiologically relevant measure for assessing the thermal environment.
  • UTCI's foundation in advanced scientific models ensures greater accuracy and comparability across diverse applications.
  • The collaborative, international development of UTCI enhances its applicability in fields ranging from public health to urban design.