Shape factor
Encyclopedia
Shape factor can refer to one of number of values in physics
, engineering
, or image analysis
. Typically, a shape factor refers to a value that is affected by an object's shape
but is independent of its dimensions.
In physics:
In engineering:
In image analysis:
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, or image analysis
Image analysis
Image analysis is the extraction of meaningful information from images; mainly from digital images by means of digital image processing techniques...
. Typically, a shape factor refers to a value that is affected by an object's shape
Shape
The shape of an object located in some space is a geometrical description of the part of that space occupied by the object, as determined by its external boundary – abstracting from location and orientation in space, size, and other properties such as colour, content, and material...
but is independent of its dimensions.
In physics:
- Shape factor, or shaping factor, a performance measure for filters such as band-pass filterBand-pass filterA band-pass filter is a device that passes frequencies within a certain range and rejects frequencies outside that range.Optical band-pass filters are of common usage....
s - Shape factor (X-ray diffraction)Shape factor (X-ray diffraction)A shape factor is used in x-ray diffraction and crystallography to correlate the size of sub-micrometre particles, or crystallites, in a solid to the broadening of a peak in a diffraction pattern...
- The view factor in the field of radiative heat transfer
- Shape factor (particle physics), denoting the ratio of a particleElementary particleIn particle physics, an elementary particle or fundamental particle is a particle not known to have substructure; that is, it is not known to be made up of smaller particles. If an elementary particle truly has no substructure, then it is one of the basic building blocks of the universe from which...
's major dimension to its minor dimension
In engineering:
- Shape factor (boundary layer flow)
- Structural indices derived from falling weight deflectometerFalling weight deflectometerA falling weight deflectometer, FWD, is a testing device used by civil engineers to evaluate the physical properties of pavement. FWD data is primary used to estimate pavement structural capacity for 1) overlay design and 2) to determine if a pavement is being overloaded. Use includes highways,...
data
In image analysis:
- Shape factor (image analysis and microscopy)Shape factor (image analysis and microscopy)Shape factors are dimensionless quantities used in image analysis and microscopy that numerically describe the shape of a particle, independent of its size. Shape factors are calculated from measured dimensions, such as diameter, chord lengths, area, perimeter, centroid, moments, etc...
including:- The compactness measure of a shapeCompactness measure of a shapeThe compactness measure of a shape, sometimes called the shape factor, is a numerical quantity representing the degree to which a shape is compact. The meaning of "compact" here is not related to the topological notion of compact space. Various compactness measures are used...
- The compactness measure of a shape