What is "form factor"

n. 1 (context physics English) The ratio of the RMS value to the absolute mean of a sinusoidal wave (especially to that of an alternating current) 2 (context physics English) Any of several functions that describe the unknown internal state of a particle 3 (context physics English) The emissivity of a material 4 (context crystallography English) A function that describes the scattering power of an atom as function of the scattering angle 5 (context mechanics English) A factor describing the stress distribution of a body 6 The geometry of an object, especially in engineering design; configuration.

Form factor is an aspect of design which defines and prescribes the size, shape, and other physical specifications of hardware components, particularly in electronics and electronic packaging.

Form factor or form-factor may also refer to:

In elementary particle physics and mathematical physics, in particular in effective field theory, a form factor is a function that encapsulates the properties of a certain particle interaction without including all of the underlying physics, but instead, providing the momentum dependence of suitable matrix elements. It is further measured experimentally in confirmation or specification of a theory—see experimental particle physics.

In electronics, the form factor of an alternating current waveform (signal) is the ratio of the RMS ( root mean square) value to the average value (mathematical mean of absolute values of all points on the waveform). It identifies the ratio of the direct current of equal power relative to the given alternating current. The former can also be defined as the direct current that will produce equivalent heat.

The form factor of a mobile phone is its size, shape, and style, as well as the layout and position of its major components. There are three major form factors bar phones, flip phones, and sliders as well as sub-categories of these forms and some atypical forms.

Form factor is an aspect of hardware design which defines and prescribes the size, shape, and other physical specifications of components, particularly in consumer electronics and electronic packaging. A form factor may represent a broad class of similarly sized components, or it may prescribe a specific standard.