Jiffy?

[stevenal]

I heard on the radio this morning that a jiffy is equal to a power cycle period at 50 or 60 Hz, among other definitions. Completely new to me. Web searches take me to

http://www.numericana.com/answer/units.htm#jiffy

where it suggests the more modern electrical engineering definition is 10 ms, but with no source given. Before I email Fred Berman, Ph.D., P.E. asking him for his source, I thought I'd ask here. Anyone hear of these definitions, and if so, where?

 

[MikeHalloran]

That's only one of many "definitions".

I.e., it can be whatever you want it to be.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiffy_(time)

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[stevenal]

Wikipedia simply points back to the website I linked. To be clear, I'm not interested in the many definitions, but those specific to electrical engineering. Also not interested in any

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=jiffy

types of answers. I'm wondering if there are electricals out there who have actually heard or used the word in this manner. Thanks.

 

[ScottyUK]

It's familiar as a colloquial term, generally meaning a fairly short period of time. I have never heard it in any formal, technical context over this side of the pond.

I actually thought Europe had a monopoly on weird names for units of measurement and had used most of them while devising the CGS system, but perhaps this is a late challenge from the colony.


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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!

 

[Miguel Villarroel]

good point !

If there was no electricity there would be no internet. Good point, don´t you?

 

[dpc]

Never heard the term related one 60 Hz or 50 Hz cycle. Sounds bogus.

David Castor

http://www.cvoes.com

 

[oldfieldguy]

If "jiffy" works, then where are we with "RCH"?

old field guy

 

[magoo2]

His 1-cycle suggestion is his opinion. It's not, as others have said, a definition.

 

[umrpwr]

steveal

Below is a link to a little more scientific site at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill which has definitions for units of measure. It gives some insight as to where the unit may have come from.

http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/dictJ.html

 

[rbulsara]

It's on internet so it must be true!

Rafiq Bulsara

http://www.srengineersct.com

 

[electricpete]

Let's keep it clean ofg ;-)

=====================================
(2B)+(2B)' ?

 

[electricpete]

IEEE 100 goes from "jerk" to "jitter" in a jiffy.
(no jiffy there)

=====================================
(2B)+(2B)' ?

 

[itsmoked]

10ms?!? That's incorrect as far as I know. A jiffy is defined as the time it takes light to transit one foot in a vacuum. It happens to be 1.0ns. This is from an engineering textbook I had in college.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com