BRITISH THERMAL UNIT (BTU) is the amount of heat required to increase the temperature of one pound of water one-degree Fahrenheit. A Btu is used as a common measure of heating value for different fuels. Prices of different fuels and their units of measure (dollars per barrel of crude, dollars per ton of coal, cents per gallon of gasoline, dollars per thousand cubic feet of natural gas) can be easily compared when expressed as dollars and cents per million Btus.
Barry Goldsmith
| APA | Barry Goldsmith. (2010). british thermal unit (btu). Retrieved October 1, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/british_thermal_unit_(btu)/definitions/1148975 |
| Chicago | Barry Goldsmith. 2010. "british thermal unit (btu)" http://smartdefine.org/british_thermal_unit_(btu)/definitions/1148975 (accessed October 1, 2026). |
| Harvard | Barry Goldsmith 2010, british thermal unit (btu), Smart Define, viewed 1 October, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/british_thermal_unit_(btu)/definitions/1148975>. |
| MLA | Barry Goldsmith. "british thermal unit (btu)" 21 October 2010. Web. 1 October 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/british_thermal_unit_(btu)/definitions/1148975> |