Definition

1. Noun:
   • A unit of inductance: A "millihenry" is a derived unit of electrical inductance in the International System of Units (SI). It is equal to one thousandth (10⁻³) of a henry, the standard SI unit for inductance.

Usage

• The "millihenry" is used to measure inductance, which is the property of an electrical conductor that opposes a change in current. It is a practical unit for expressing the inductance values of common electronic components like coils, inductors, and transformers, where the full henry is often too large a unit.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The inductor in the circuit has a value of 47 millihenries.
  • To filter the signal, we need a coil with an inductance of at least 10 millihenry.
  • Small air-core inductors often have values in the microhenry to millihenry range.

Advanced Usage

• Scientific and Engineering Context: The millihenry is standard in electrical engineering schematics, component specifications, and calculations involving inductive reactance (XL = 2πfL, where L is in henries).
• Prefix System: The unit follows the SI metric prefix "milli-," which denotes a factor of one thousandth. This prefix is consistently applied across other units (e.g., millisecond, milligram).

Variants and Related Words

• Henry (H) (n): The base SI unit of inductance. One henry is equal to one thousand millihenries.
• Microhenry (µH) (n): A unit of inductance equal to one millionth of a henry (10⁻⁶ H). There are one thousand microhenries in one millihenry.
• Inductance (n): The electrical property that the millihenry quantifies.
• Inductor (n): A passive electrical component designed to provide inductance, often rated in millihenries.

Synonyms

• mH: The standard abbreviation for millihenry. (e.g., )
• Thousandth of a henry: A descriptive synonym.

Notes

• The plural form is "millihenries" or, less commonly, "millihenrys."
• While "millihenry" is a compound word formed from the prefix "milli-" and the unit "henry," it functions as a single, distinct unit of measurement.

Noun

1. a unit of inductance equal to one thousandth of a henry