MCQ Detailed View

BTU stands for British Thermal Unit, a unit used to measure energy or heat content. Specifically, one BTU is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit at standard atmospheric pressure. It is commonly used in countries following imperial units, especially for measuring heat energy, fuel energy content, and power output of heating and cooling systems.

Key facts about BTU:

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  1 BTU ≈ 1,055 joules (J) in the International System of Units (SI).

  
  


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  It is primarily used in thermodynamics, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), and in power ratings of stoves, furnaces, and air conditioners.

  
  


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  Energy produced by fuels (like natural gas, coal, or wood) is often expressed in BTUs to show their heat-producing capability.

  
  

For example:

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  A household gas burner may produce 5,000–10,000 BTUs per hour.

  
  


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  Air conditioners are rated in BTU/hr, indicating how much heat they can remove from a room.

  
  


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  One gallon of gasoline releases about 114,000 BTUs when burned completely.

  
  

Other options explained:

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  Force: Measured in Newtons (N) in SI units, not in BTUs.

  
  


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  Magnetic flux: Measured in Webers (Wb).

  
  


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  None of these: Incorrect, because BTU specifically measures energy.

  
  

BTU is a non-SI unit, but it is widely used in engineering, particularly in the United States, for practical measurement of heating and cooling capacities. Scientists typically prefer joules, but BTUs remain a common everyday energy unit in many industries.

The correct answer is Option C: Energy, as BTU is universally recognized as a unit of heat energy, representing the energy needed to change water temperature and measure fuel or thermal energy capacity.