A figure of merit is a quantity used to characterize the performance of a device,system or method,relative to its alternatives.In engineering,figures of merit are often defined for particular materials or devices in order to determine their relative utility for an application.In commerce,such figures are often used as a marketing tool to convince consumers to choose a particular brand.
Examples
* Clock rate of a CPU
* Calories per serving
* Contrast ratio of an LCD
* Frequency response of a speaker
* Fill factor of a solar panel
* Resolution of the CCD in a digital camera
* Detection performance of a sonar system
* Noise figure of a radio receiver
* The thermoelectric figure of merit,Z,a material constant proportional to the efficiency of a thermoelectric couple made with the material
