erg

The unit of work in the centimeter-gram-second absolute system of units, 1 erg being the work done by a force of 1 dyne acting through a distance of 1 centimeter, = 10⁻⁷ joules. Symbol, erg.

A million ergs was sometimes termed a megalerg.

The name was first proposed by a committee of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.¹ It is based on the classical Greek word ergon (εργον), meaning work.

According to the current national standard in the United States², the erg is not to be used. The joule should be used instead.

1. British Association for the Advancement of Science.
Reports of the Committee on Electrical Standards appointed by the British Association....
London: E. and F. N. Spon, 1873.

2. IEEE/ASTM SI 10™-2002.
American National Standard for Use of the International System of Units (SI): The Modern Metric System.
New York: IEEE, 30 December 2002.

See Section 3.3.3.