degree of freedom

degree of freedom

noun

pl. degrees of freedom

Statistics Any of the unrestricted, independent random variables that constitute a statistic.
Physics
a. Any of the minimum number of coordinates required to specify completely the motion of a mechanical system.
b. Any of the independent thermodynamic variables, such as pressure, temperature, or composition, required to specify a system with a given number of phases and components.

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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"Degree of freedom." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/degree-of-freedom.

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Degree of freedom. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/degree-of-freedom

Any of the independent thermodynamic variables, such as pressure, temperature, or composition, required to specify a system with a given number of phases and components.
Any of the independent terms used to characterize the way a physical system can store energy. For example, a molecule consisting of two atoms can be thought of as having three degrees of freedom: one for its linear motion (as the whole molecule moves through space), one for its angular motion (as it rotates around its center of gravity) and one for its internal vibrational energy (as the atoms pull and push against each other within their chemical bond).

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Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"Degree of freedom." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/degree-of-freedom.

APA Style

Degree of freedom. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/degree-of-freedom

Noun

(plural degrees of freedom)

(physics) Any of the coordinates, a minimum number of which are needed to specify the motion of a mechanical system
(physics) Any of the independent variables required to specify the thermodynamic state of a system containing components and phases
(mathematics) Any unrestricted variable in a frequency distribution

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.