A unit of electrical potential in the centimeter-gram-second (CGS) electromagnetic system, equal to one ten-millionth of a volt.
From abs- (abbreviation for 'absolute' in physics) + volt (unit of electrical potential, named after Alessandro Volta). Formed as a scientific term in the CGS system, which was widely used before the modern SI system became standard.
The 'absvolt' is one of many quirky scientific units from the CGS system—a measurement system that once rivaled SI but lost out because SI units are more practical. Today it's mostly encountered in old physics textbooks, making it a linguistic fossil of scientific history.
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