A unit of energy or work in the centimeter-gram-second system of measurement, equal to the work done by one dyne of force.
From Greek 'ergon' meaning 'work' or 'deed.' Scientists adopted this Greek root to name the smallest practical unit of energy, emphasizing the concept of work or exertion.
The erg is almost never used in modern physics anymore—scientists switched to joules—but the word 'ergon' lives on in 'ergonomics' and 'synergy,' showing how one Greek root spawned entirely different scientific fields.
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