A unit of energy or work in physics, equal to the amount of energy used when one newton of force moves an object one meter.
Named after physicist James Prescott Joule (1818-1889), who discovered the relationship between electrical current and heat. The French spelled it 'joule' (pronounced 'jool'), which English adopted.
James Joule discovered that heat is a form of energy by stirring water with a paddle-wheel—his brilliant insight that motion and temperature are connected earned him a permanent place in physics AND the dictionary.
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