See Also:

J (iou)



J, j.
The tenth letter of the modern English alphabet, orig. a modification of the letter I. From the 11th to the 17th cent. the letter I, i represented both the vowel sound of i, and the sound . In the transliteration of oriental names j is used with its English value. Pl. J's, Js.
I.
The letter and its sound.
The shape of the letter.
J-curve Statistics a J-shaped graph or distribution. J-shaped adjective having a shape or a cross-section like the capital letter J (without a right-angled crosspiece).
II. Symbolical uses.
Used to denote serial order; applied e.g. to the tenth group or section, sheet of a book, etc. Formerly rare (the old order of the Roman alphabet, H, I, K, being retained).
J acid Chemistry 2-amino-5-naphthol-7-sulphonic acid, C10H9NO4S, an intermediate in the production of azo dyes by coupling reactions. JK flip-flop Electronics a flip-flop with two inputs and two outputs which changes to the complementary state when both triggering pulses are one.
Used to replace the roman numeral i in final position, as in j, ij, vj, etc. Now rare.
Physics.
a. [Abbreviation of JOULE.] The mechanical equivalent of heat.
b. Quantized angular momentum, esp. the total angular momentum of an electron (j) or assemblage of electrons (J).
Electricity. (Italic j.)
a. Electric current.
b. The imaginary quantity 1, the square root of minus one. Cf. I, I 7.
III.
Abbrevs.: J = joule(s).