The term "jiffy" is an informal unit of time, but its exact length depends on the context in which it is used. Here are some of the common definitions:
Common Definitions of a Jiffy
1. Physics and Electronics
- In physics and electronics, a jiffy is often defined as the time it takes for light to travel one centimeter in a vacuum.
- Since light travels approximately 299,792,458 meters per second, one centimeter takes about 33.3564 picoseconds (trillionths of a second).
- So, in this context, a jiffy ≈ 33.4 picoseconds.
2. Computing
- In computer science, a jiffy is the duration of one tick of the system timer interrupt.
- This varies depending on the operating system and hardware but is commonly around 1 to 10 milliseconds.
- For example, in Linux systems, a jiffy is often 1/100th of a second (10 milliseconds) or sometimes 1/250th of a second (4 milliseconds).
3. Informal Usage
- In everyday language, a jiffy means a very short, unspecified amount of time — like saying "I'll be back in a jiffy."
Summary Table
Context| Duration
---|---
Physics (light travel 1 cm)| ~33.4 picoseconds (3.34 × 10⁻¹¹ s)
Computing (system tick)| 1–10 milliseconds (varies by system)
Informal speech| A very short, indefinite time
If you want to know the length of a jiffy in a specific context, please let me know!
