A ↑absolute zero
(cryogenics) the lowest temperature theoretically attainable (at which the kinetic energy of atoms and molecules is minimal); 0 Kelvin or -273.15 centigrade or -459.67 Fahrenheit
absorptivity
;
absorption factor
(physics) the property of a body that determines the fraction of the incident radiation or sound flux absorbed or absorbable by the body
accelerate
move faster; "The car accelerated"
acceleration
;
quickening
;
speedup
the act of accelerating; increasing the speed
acoustics
the study of the physical properties of sound
adhesiveness
;
adhesion
the property of sticking together (as of glue and wood) or the joining of surfaces of different composition; "the mutual adhesiveness of cells"; "a heated hydraulic press was required for adhesion"
adiabatic process
(thermodynamics) any process that occurs without gain or loss of heat
alternating current
;
AC
;
alternating electric current
an electric current that reverses direction sinusoidally; "In the US most household current is AC at 60 cycles per second"
amplitude
(physics) the maximum displacement of a periodic wave
antiferromagnetism
magnetic field creates parallel but opposing spins; varies with temperature
assimilation
;
absorption
the social process of absorbing one cultural group into harmony with another
atmosphere
a unit of pressure: the pressure that will support a column of mercury 760 mm high at sea level and 0 degrees centigrade
atom
(physics and chemistry) the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element
attraction
an entertainment that is offered to the public
attraction
;
attractive force
the force by which one object attracts another
axis
;
axis of rotation
the center around which something rotates
B ↑balance
a state of equilibrium
balance
;
equilibrium
;
equipoise
equality of distribution
battery
;
electric battery
a device that produces electricity; may have several primary or secondary cells arranged in parallel or series
boiling point
;
boil
the temperature at which a liquid boils at sea level; "they brought the water to a boil"
bulk
;
volume
the property of something that is great in magnitude; "it is cheaper to buy it in bulk"; "he received a mass of correspondence"; "the volume of exports"
C ↑calorimetry
measurement of quantities of heat
capacitance
;
electrical capacity
;
capacity
an electrical phenomenon whereby an electric charge is stored
capacitor
;
condenser
an electrical device characterized by its capacity to store an electric charge
capacity
;
content
the amount that can be contained; "the gas tank has a capacity of 12 gallons"
causality
the relation between causes and effects
center of mass
;
centre of mass
point representing the mean position of the matter in a body
centrifugal
tending to move away from a center; "centrifugal force"
centrifugal force
the outward force on a body moving in a curved path around another body
charge
;
electric charge
the quantity of unbalanced electricity in a body (either positive or negative) and construed as an excess or deficiency of electrons; "the battery needed a fresh charge"
chemical
;
chemic
relating to or used in chemistry; "chemical engineer"; "chemical balance"
chemical
;
chemical substance
material produced by or used in a reaction involving changes in atoms or molecules
chromatic aberration
an optical aberration in which the image has colored fringes
cold
;
coldness
;
frigidness
the absence of heat; "the coldness made our breath visible"; "come in out of the cold"; "cold is a vasoconstrictor"
collision
;
hit
(physics) a brief event in which two or more bodies come together; "the collision of the particles resulted in an exchange of energy and a change of direction"
compass
navigational instrument for finding directions
compressibility
the property of being able to occupy less space
compression
encoding information while reducing the bandwidth or bits required
condensation
the process of changing from a gaseous to a liquid or solid state
conductance
a material's capacity to conduct electricity; measured as the reciprocal of electrical resistance
conduction
;
conductivity
the transmission of heat or electricity or sound
conductor
a device designed to transmit electricity, heat, etc.
conservation
(physics) the maintenance of a certain quantities unchanged during chemical reactions or physical transformations
conservation
;
preservation
an occurrence of improvement by virtue of preventing loss or injury or other change
conservation of energy
;
law of conservation of energy
;
first law of thermodynamics
the fundamental principle of physics that the total energy of an isolated system is constant despite internal changes
constant
a number representing a quantity assumed to have a fixed value in a specified mathematical context; "the velocity of light is a constant"
conversion
;
changeover
an event that results in a transformation
Coriolis effect
(physics) an effect whereby a body moving in a rotating frame of reference experiences the Coriolis force acting perpendicular to the direction of motion and to the axis of rotation; on Earth the Coriolis effect deflects moving bodies to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere
cosmology
the metaphysical study of the origin and nature of the universe
cosmology
;
cosmogony
;
cosmogeny
the branch of astrophysics that studies the origin and evolution and structure of the universe
crystal
a solid formed by the solidification of a chemical and having a highly regular atomic structure
crystal
;
crystallization
a rock formed by the solidification of a substance; has regularly repeating internal structure; external plane faces
current
;
electric current
a flow of electricity through a conductor; "the current was measured in amperes"
D ↑decibel
;
dB
a logarithmic unit of sound intensity; 10 times the logarithm of the ratio of the sound intensity to some reference intensity
density
;
denseness
the amount per unit size
deviation
;
deviance
deviate behavior
diamagnetism
phenomenon exhibited by materials like copper or bismuth that become magnetized in a magnetic field with a polarity opposite to the magnetic force; unlike iron they are slightly repelled by a magnet
diffusion
(physics) the process in which there is movement of a substance from an area of high concentration of that substance to an area of lower concentration
diode
a semiconductor that consists of a p-n junction
diopter
;
dioptre
a unit of measurement of the refractive power of a lens which is equal to the reciprocal of the focal length measured in meters; used by oculists
dip
;
angle of dip
;
magnetic dip
(physics) the angle that a magnetic needle makes with the plane of the horizon
dipole
a pair of equal and opposite electric charges or magnetic poles separated by a small distance
direct current
;
DC
an electric current that flows in one direction steadily
dispersion
;
dispersal
the act of dispersing or diffusing something; "the dispersion of the troops"; "the diffusion of knowledge"
distance
the property created by the space between two objects or points
distortion
an optical phenomenon resulting from the failure of a lens or mirror to produce a good image
drag
pull, as against a resistance; "He dragged the big suitcase behind him"; "These worries were dragging at him"
drag
;
retarding force
the phenomenon of resistance to motion through a fluid
drive
;
thrust
;
driving force
the act of applying force to propel something; "after reaching the desired velocity the drive is cut off"
dynamical system
(physics) a phase space together with a transformation of that space
dynamics
;
kinetics
the branch of mechanics concerned with the forces that cause motions of bodies
E ↑echo
the repetition of a sound resulting from reflection of the sound waves; "she could hear echoes of her own footsteps"
elasticity
;
snap
the tendency of a body to return to its original shape after it has been stretched or compressed; "the waistband had lost its snap"
electric field
a field of force surrounding a charged particle
electricity
;
electrical energy
energy made available by the flow of electric charge through a conductor; "they built a car that runs on electricity"
electromagnet
a temporary magnet made by coiling wire around an iron core; when current flows in the coil the iron becomes a magnet
electromagnetic
pertaining to or exhibiting magnetism produced by electric charge in motion; "electromagnetic energy"
electromagnetic radiation
radiation consisting of waves of energy associated with electric and magnetic fields resulting from the acceleration of an electric charge
electromagnetic spectrum
the entire frequency range of electromagnetic waves
electromagnetism
magnetism produced by an electric current; "electromagnetism was discovered when it was observed that a copper wire carrying an electric current can magnetize pieces of iron or steel near it"
electron
;
negatron
an elementary particle with negative charge
electronics
the branch of physics that deals with the emission and effects of electrons and with the use of electronic devices
electrostatic
;
static
concerned with or producing or caused by static electricity; "an electrostatic generator produces high-voltage static electricity"
electrostatics
the branch of physics that deals with static electricity
element
an abstract part of something; "jealousy was a component of his character"; "two constituents of a musical composition are melody and harmony"; "the grammatical elements of a sentence"; "a key factor in her success"; "humor: an effective ingredient of a speech"
elementary particle
;
fundamental particle
(physics) a particle that is less complex than an atom; regarded as constituents of all matter
emission
;
emanation
the act of emitting; causing to flow forth
energy
;
free energy
(physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs; "energy can take a wide variety of forms"
enthalpy
(thermodynamics) a thermodynamic quantity equal to the internal energy of a system plus the product of its volume and pressure; "enthalpy is the amount of energy in a system capable of doing mechanical work"
entropy
(communication theory) a numerical measure of the uncertainty of an outcome; "the signal contained thousands of bits of information"
equilibrium
a stable situation in which forces cancel one another
event
;
case
a special set of circumstances; "in that event, the first possibility is excluded"; "it may rain in which case the picnic will be canceled"
expansion
;
enlargement
the act of increasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope
experiment
;
experimentation
the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation
F ↑ferrimagnetism
a phenomenon in ferrites where there can be incomplete cancellation of antiferromagnetic arranged spins giving a net magnetic moment
ferromagnetism
phenomenon exhibited by materials like iron (nickel or cobalt) that become magnetized in a magnetic field and retain their magnetism when the field is removed
filter
;
filtrate
remove by passing through a filter; "filter out the impurities"
firm
;
solid
not soft or yielding to pressure; "a firm mattress"; "the snow was firm underfoot"; "solid ground"
flow
;
flowing
the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)
flow
;
flux
move or progress freely as if in a stream; "The crowd flowed out of the stadium"
fluid
a substance that is fluid at room temperature and pressure
fluid mechanics
;
hydraulics
study of the mechanics of fluids
freeze
;
freezing
the withdrawal of heat to change something from a liquid to a solid
freezing point
;
melting point
the temperature below which a liquid turns into a solid
frequency
;
relative frequency
the ratio of the number of observations in a statistical category to the total number of observations
friction
;
rubbing
the resistance encountered when one body is moved in contact with another
G ↑gas
;
gaseous state
the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity; relatively great expansion and contraction with changes in pressure and temperature; the ability to diffuse readily; and the spontaneous tendency to become distributed uniformly throughout any container
gas constant
;
universal gas constant
;
R
(physics) the universal constant in the gas equation: pressure times volume = R times temperature; equal to 8.3143 joules per kelvin per mole
geophysics
;
geophysical science
geology that uses physical principles to study properties of the earth
gravitational constant
;
universal gravitational constant
;
constant of gravitation
(physics) the universal constant relating force to mass and distance in Newton's law of gravitation
gravity
;
gravitation
(physics) the force of attraction between all masses in the universe; especially the attraction of the earth's mass for bodies near its surface; "the more remote the body the less the gravity"; "the gravitation between two bodies is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them"; "gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love"--Albert Einstein
H ↑half life
;
half-life
the time required for something to fall to half its initial value (in particular, the time for half the atoms in a radioactive substance to disintegrate)
heat
;
high temperature
the presence of heat
heat
;
warmth
the sensation caused by heat energy
height
;
tallness
the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top
hertz
the unit of frequency; one hertz has a periodic interval of one second
hypothesis
a tentative insight into the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena; "a scientific hypothesis that survives experimental testing becomes a scientific theory"; "he proposed a fresh theory of alkalis that later was accepted in chemical practices"
I ↑ideal gas
;
perfect gas
a hypothetical gas with molecules of negligible size that exert no intermolecular forces
ignite
;
light
cause to start burning; subject to fire or great heat; "Great heat can ignite almost any dry matter"; "Light a cigarette"
imbalance
a lack of balance or state of disequilibrium; "a hormonal imbalance"
impact
the striking of one body against another
impedance
;
resistance
;
resistivity
a material's opposition to the flow of electric current; measured in ohms
implosion
a sudden inward collapse; "the implosion of a light bulb"
induction
;
inductance
an electrical phenomenon whereby an electromotive force (EMF) is generated in a closed circuit by a change in the flow of current
inductor
;
inductance
an electrical device (typically a conducting coil) that introduces inductance into a circuit
inertia
(physics) the tendency of a body to maintain its state of rest or uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force
inertia
a disposition to remain inactive or inert; "he had to overcome his inertia and get back to work"
instability
;
unstableness
the quality or attribute of being unstable and irresolute
insulator
;
dielectric
a material such as glass or porcelain with negligible electrical or thermal conductivity
interaction
a mutual or reciprocal action; interacting
interaction
;
fundamental interaction
(physics) the transfer of energy between elementary particles or between an elementary particle and a field or between fields; mediated by gauge bosons
interference
the act of hindering or obstructing or impeding
inverse
;
opposite
something inverted in sequence or character or effect; "when the direct approach failed he tried the inverse"
inverse
;
reverse
reversed (turned backward) in order or nature or effect
invisibility
;
invisibleness
the quality of not being perceivable by the eye
invisible
;
unseeable
impossible or nearly impossible to see; imperceptible by the eye; "the invisible man"; "invisible rays"; "an invisible hinge"; "invisible mending"
ion
a particle that is electrically charged (positive or negative); an atom or molecule or group that has lost or gained one or more electrons
isotope
one of two or more atoms with the same atomic number but with different numbers of neutrons
isotropy
;
symmetry
(physics) the property of being isotropic; having the same value when measured in different directions
J ↑joule
a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second
K ↑kinematics
the branch of mechanics concerned with motion without reference to force or mass
kinetic energy
;
K.E.
the mechanical energy that a body has by virtue of its motion
L ↑laser
;
optical maser
an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation; an optical device that produces an intense monochromatic beam of coherent light
latent heat
;
heat of transformation
heat absorbed or radiated during a change of phase at a constant temperature and pressure
length
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place; "the length of the table was 5 feet"
level
;
spirit level
indicator that establishes the horizontal when a bubble is centered in a tube of liquid
light
(physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation; "the light was filtered through a soft glass window"
light
of comparatively little physical weight or density; "a light load"; "magnesium is a light metal--having a specific gravity of 1.74 at 20 degrees C"
light
;
illume
;
illuminate
make lighter or brighter; "This lamp lightens the room a bit"
liquid
a substance that is liquid at room temperature and pressure
liquid
existing as or having characteristics of a liquid; especially tending to flow; "water and milk and blood are liquid substances"
liter
;
litre
a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)
lumen
;
lm
a unit of luminous flux equal to the amount of light given out through a solid angle of 1 steradian by a point source of 1 candela intensity radiating uniformly in all directions
luminosity
;
luminance
the quality of being luminous; emitting or reflecting light; "its luminosity is measured relative to that of our sun"
M ↑magnet
(physics) a device that attracts iron and produces a magnetic field
magnetic declination
;
magnetic variation
;
variation
the angle (at a particular location) between magnetic north and true north
magnetic field
the lines of force surrounding a permanent magnet or a moving charged particle
magnetic monopole
a hypothetical particle with a single magnetic pole instead of the usual two
magnetism
attraction for iron; associated with electric currents as well as magnets; characterized by fields of force
magnetism
;
magnetics
the branch of science that studies magnetism
mass
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
measurement
;
measuring
;
mensuration
the act or process of assigning numbers to phenomena according to a rule; "the measurements were carefully done"; "his mental measurings proved remarkably accurate"
mechanical
using (or as if using) mechanisms or tools or devices; "a mechanical process"; "his smile was very mechanical"; "a mechanical toy"
mechanics
the branch of physics concerned with the motion of bodies in a frame of reference
medium
a means or instrumentality for storing or communicating information
microscope
magnifier of the image of small objects; "the invention of the microscope led to the discovery of the cell"
mirror
polished surface that forms images by reflecting light
mirror
reflect as if in a mirror; "The smallest pond at night mirrors the firmament above"
mole
the molecular weight of a substance expressed in grams; the basic unit of amount of substance adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
molecule
(physics and chemistry) the simplest structural unit of an element or compound
moment of inertia
the tendency of a body to resist angular acceleration
momentum
the product of a body's mass and its velocity; "the momentum of the particles was deduced from meteoritic velocities"
movement
;
motion
a natural event that involves a change in the position or location of something
movement
;
motion
;
move
a change of position that does not entail a change of location; "the reflex motion of his eyebrows revealed his surprise"; "movement is a sign of life"; "an impatient move of his hand"; "gastrointestinal motility"
mutant
(biology) an organism that has characteristics resulting from chromosomal alteration
N ↑natural gas
;
gas
a fossil fuel in the gaseous state; used for cooking and heating homes
negative
characterized by or displaying negation or denial or opposition or resistance; having no positive features; "a negative outlook on life"; "a colorless negative personality"; "a negative evaluation"; "a negative reaction to an advertising campaign"
neutron
an elementary particle with 0 charge and mass about equal to a proton; enters into the structure of the atomic nucleus
newton
;
N
a unit of force equal to the force that imparts an acceleration of 1 m/sec/sec to a mass of 1 kilogram; equal to 100,000 dynes
nuclear
;
atomic
(weapons) deriving destructive energy from the release of atomic energy; "nuclear war"; "nuclear weapons"; "atomic bombs"
nuclear reactor
;
reactor
(physics) any of several kinds of apparatus that maintain and control a nuclear reaction for the production of energy or artificial elements
nucleus
the positively charged dense center of an atom
nucleus
;
cell nucleus
;
karyon
a part of the cell containing DNA and RNA and responsible for growth and reproduction
O ↑opacity
;
opaqueness
the quality of being opaque to a degree; the degree to which something reduces the passage of light
optics
the branch of physics that studies the physical properties of light
order of magnitude
;
magnitude
a number assigned to the ratio of two quantities; two quantities are of the same order of magnitude if one is less than 10 times as large as the other; the number of magnitudes that the quantities differ is specified to within a power of 10
oscillation
the process of oscillating between states
outer space
;
space
any location outside the Earth's atmosphere; "the astronauts walked in outer space without a tether"; "the first major milestone in space exploration was in 1957, when the USSR's Sputnik 1 orbited the Earth"
P ↑parallax
the apparent displacement of an object as seen from two different points that are not on a line with the object
paramagnetism
materials like aluminum or platinum become magnetized in a magnetic field but it disappears when the field is removed
particle
;
subatomic particle
a body having finite mass and internal structure but negligible dimensions
permeability
;
permeableness
the property of something that can be pervaded by a liquid (as by osmosis or diffusion)
phenomenon
any state or process known through the senses rather than by intuition or reasoning
photon
a quantum of electromagnetic radiation; an elementary particle that is its own antiparticle
physics
;
natural philosophy
the science of matter and energy and their interactions; "his favorite subject was physics"
place
the post or function properly or customarily occupied or served by another; "can you go in my stead?"; "took his place"; "in lieu of"
plasma
(physical chemistry) a fourth state of matter distinct from solid or liquid or gas and present in stars and fusion reactors; a gas becomes a plasma when it is heated until the atoms lose all their electrons, leaving a highly electrified collection of nuclei and free electrons; "particles in space exist in the form of a plasma"
polarization
;
polarisation
the condition of having or giving polarity
potential energy
;
P.E.
the mechanical energy that a body has by virtue of its position; stored energy
power
(physics) the rate of doing work; measured in watts (= joules/second)
press
;
pressure
;
pressing
the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure; "he gave the button a press"; "he used pressure to stop the bleeding"; "at the pressing of a button"
pressure
the force applied to a unit area of surface; measured in pascals (SI unit) or in dynes (cgs unit); "the compressed gas exerts an increased pressure"
pressure
a force that compels; "the public brought pressure to bear on the government"
principle of relativity
(physics) a universal law that states that the laws of mechanics are not affected by a uniform rectilinear motion of the system of coordinates to which they are referred
prism
a polyhedron with two congruent and parallel faces (the bases) and whose lateral faces are parallelograms
prism
;
optical prism
optical device having a triangular shape and made of glass or quartz; used to deviate a beam or invert an image
process
;
physical process
a sustained phenomenon or one marked by gradual changes through a series of states; "events now in process"; "the process of calcification begins later for boys than for girls"
proportion
the quotient obtained when the magnitude of a part is divided by the magnitude of the whole
proportion
;
dimension
magnitude or extent; "a building of vast proportions"
proportional
;
relative
properly related in size or degree or other measurable characteristics; usually followed by `to'; "the punishment ought to be proportional to the crime"; "earnings relative to production"
proton
a stable particle with positive charge equal to the negative charge of an electron
pulley
a simple machine consisting of a wheel with a groove in which a rope can run to change the direction or point of application of a force applied to the rope
push
;
thrust
the force used in pushing; "the push of the water on the walls of the tank"; "the thrust of the jet engines"
pyroelectricity
generation of an electric charge on certain crystals (such as tourmaline) as a result of a change in temperature
Q ↑quantitative
expressible as a quantity or relating to or susceptible of measurement; "export wheat without quantitative limitations"; "quantitative analysis determines the amounts and proportions of the chemical constituents of a substance or mixture"
quantity
an adequate or large amount; "he had a quantity of ammunition"
quantum
(physics) the smallest discrete quantity of some physical property that a system can possess (according to quantum theory)
quantum electrodynamics
;
QED
a relativistic quantum theory of the electromagnetic interactions of photons and electrons and muons
quantum mechanics
the branch of quantum physics that accounts for matter at the atomic level; an extension of statistical mechanics based on quantum theory (especially the Pauli exclusion principle)
quark
(physics) hypothetical truly fundamental particle in mesons and baryons; there are supposed to be six flavors of quarks (and their antiquarks), which come in pairs; each has an electric charge of +2/3 or -1/3; "quarks have not been observed directly but theoretical predictions based on their existence have been confirmed experimentally"
R ↑radiation
the act of spreading outward from a central source
radiation
;
radioactivity
the spontaneous emission of a stream of particles or electromagnetic rays in nuclear decay
reactance
opposition to the flow of electric current resulting from inductance and capacitance (rather than resistance)
reflection
;
reflexion
the phenomenon of a propagating wave (light or sound) being thrown back from a surface
refrigeration
;
infrigidation
the process of cooling or freezing (e.g., food) for preservative purposes
resistance
any mechanical force that tends to retard or oppose motion
resistance
the capacity of an organism to defend itself against harmful environmental agents; "these trees are widely planted because of their resistance to salt and smog"
resistance
;
opposition
the action of opposing something that you disapprove or disagree with; "he encountered a general feeling of resistance from many citizens"; "despite opposition from the newspapers he went ahead"
resistor
;
resistance
an electrical device that resists the flow of electrical current
resolution
(computer science) the number of pixels per square inch on a computer-generated display; the greater the resolution, the better the picture
resonance
a vibration of large amplitude produced by a relatively small vibration near the same frequency of vibration as the natural frequency of the resonating system
rotation
;
gyration
a single complete turn (axial or orbital); "the plane made three rotations before it crashed"; "the revolution of the earth about the sun takes one year"
rotation
;
rotary motion
the act of rotating as if on an axis; "the rotation of the dancer kept time with the music"
S ↑saturation
a condition in which a quantity no longer responds to some external influence
scientific
of or relating to the practice of science; "scientific journals"
second law of thermodynamics
a law stating that mechanical work can be derived from a body only when that body interacts with another at a lower temperature; any spontaneous process results in an increase of entropy
seismology
the branch of geology that studies earthquakes
semiconductor
;
semiconducting material
a substance as germanium or silicon whose electrical conductivity is intermediate between that of a metal and an insulator; its conductivity increases with temperature and in the presence of impurities
shape
;
form
the visual appearance of something or someone; "the delicate cast of his features"
shape
;
form
the spatial arrangement of something as distinct from its substance; "geometry is the mathematical science of shape"
size
the physical magnitude of something (how big it is); "a wolf is about the size of a large dog"
smoke
;
fume
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
solenoid
a coil of wire around an iron core; becomes a magnet when current passes through the coil
solid
of definite shape and volume; firm; neither liquid nor gaseous; "ice is water in the solid state"
sound
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause; "the sound of rain on the roof"; "the beautiful sound of music"
sound
give off a certain sound or sounds; "This record sounds scratchy"
sound
;
audio
the audible part of a transmitted signal; "they always raise the audio for commercials"
space
an empty area (usually bounded in some way between things); "the architect left space in front of the building"; "they stopped at an open space in the jungle"; "the space between his teeth"
space
;
infinite
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located; "they tested his ability to locate objects in space"; "the boundless regions of the infinite"
spectrum
an ordered array of the components of an emission or wave
speed
;
velocity
distance travelled per unit time
speed of light
the speed at which light travels in a vacuum; the constancy and universality of the speed of light is recognized by defining it to be exactly 299,792,458 meters per second
static
not in physical motion; "the inertia of an object at rest"
stationary
not capable of being moved; "stationary machinery"
statistical mechanics
the branch of physics that makes theoretical predictions about the behavior of macroscopic systems on the basis of statistical laws governing its component particles
stay
;
remain
;
rest
stay the same; remain in a certain state; "The dress remained wet after repeated attempts to dry it"; "rest assured"; "stay alone"; "He remained unmoved by her tears"; "The bad weather continued for another week"
steam
water at boiling temperature diffused in the atmosphere
strain
injury to a muscle (often caused by overuse); results in swelling and pain
stream
;
current
dominant course (suggestive of running water) of successive events or ideas; "two streams of development run through American history"; "stream of consciousness"; "the flow of thought"; "the current of history"
strength
;
force
physical energy or intensity; "he hit with all the force he could muster"; "it was destroyed by the strength of the gale"; "a government has not the vitality and forcefulness of a living man"
stress
(physics) force that produces strain on a physical body; "the intensity of stress is expressed in units of force divided by units of area"
stress
(psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense; "he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension"; "stress is a vasoconstrictor"
string theory
(particle physics) a theory that postulates that subatomic particles are one-dimensional strings
strong interaction
;
strong force
;
color force
(physics) the interaction that binds protons and neutrons together in the nuclei of atoms; mediated by gluons
structure
the manner of construction of something and the arrangement of its parts; "artists must study the structure of the human body"; "the structure of the benzene molecule"
sublimation
(chemistry) a change directly from the solid to the gaseous state without becoming liquid
substance
the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists; "DNA is the substance of our genes"
substance
material of a particular kind or constitution; "the immune response recognizes invading substances"
supersymmetry
(physics) a theory that tries to link the four fundamental forces; "according to supersymmetry each force emerged separately during the big bang"
surface
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary; "there is a special cleaner for these surfaces"; "the cloth had a pattern of red dots on a white surface"
T ↑telescope
;
scope
a magnifier of images of distant objects
temperature
the degree of hotness or coldness of a body or environment (corresponding to its molecular activity)
tension
the physical condition of being stretched or strained; "it places great tension on the leg muscles"; "he could feel the tenseness of her body"
theoretical
;
theoretic
concerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations; "theoretical science"
thermal
relating to or associated with heat; "thermal movements of molecules"; "thermal capacity"; "thermic energy"; "the caloric effect of sunlight"
thermodynamics
the branch of physics concerned with the conversion of different forms of energy
thermoelectricity
electricity produced by heat (as in a thermocouple)
thermometer
measuring instrument for measuring temperature
third law of thermodynamics
law stating that the entropy of a substance approaches zero as its temperature approaches absolute zero
time
;
fourth dimension
the fourth coordinate that is required (along with three spatial dimensions) to specify a physical event
torsion
;
torque
a twisting force
trajectory
;
flight
the path followed by an object moving through space
transformation
;
translation
the act of changing in form or shape or appearance; "a photograph is a translation of a scene onto a two-dimensional surface"
transformation
;
transmutation
a qualitative change
transistor
a semiconductor device capable of amplification
transition
a change from one place or state or subject or stage to another
U ↑uniform
;
unvarying
always the same; showing a single form or character in all occurrences; "a street of uniform tall white buildings"
unit
;
unit of measurement
any division of quantity accepted as a standard of measurement or exchange; "the dollar is the United States unit of currency"; "a unit of wheat is a bushel"; "change per unit volume"
V ↑vacuum
;
vacuity
the absence of matter
value
the quality (positive or negative) that renders something desirable or valuable; "the Shakespearean Shylock is of dubious value in the modern world"
vapor
;
vapour
a visible suspension in the air of particles of some substance
vaporization
;
evaporation
the process of becoming a vapor
variable
a symbol (like x or y) that is used in mathematical or logical expressions to represent a variable quantity
variable
liable to or capable of change; "rainfall in the tropics is notoriously variable"; "variable winds"; "variable expenses"
variation
a repetition of a musical theme in which it is modified or embellished
vector
a straight line segment whose length is magnitude and whose orientation in space is direction
viscosity
;
viscousness
resistance of a liquid to shear forces (and hence to flow)
volatile
tending to vary often or widely; "volatile stocks"; "volatile emotions"
volt
;
V
a unit of potential equal to the potential difference between two points on a conductor carrying a current of 1 ampere when the power dissipated between the two points is 1 watt; equivalent to the potential difference across a resistance of 1 ohm when 1 ampere of current flows through it
voltage
the difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts
voltage
the rate at which energy is drawn from a source that produces a flow of electricity in a circuit; expressed in volts
volume
the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object; "the gas expanded to twice its original volume"
W ↑wave
;
moving ridge
one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
wave
;
undulation
(physics) a movement up and down or back and forth
wave front
;
wavefront
(physics) an imaginary surface joining all points in space that are reached at the same instant by a wave propagating through a medium
wavelength
the distance (measured in the direction of propagation) between two points in the same phase in consecutive cycles of a wave
weak interaction
;
weak force
(physics) an interaction between elementary particles involving neutrinos or antineutrinos that is responsible for certain kinds of radioactive decay; mediated by intermediate vector bosons
weight
the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
weight unit
;
weight
a unit used to measure weight; "he placed two weights in the scale pan"
whole
;
unit
an assemblage of parts that is regarded as a single entity; "how big is that part compared to the whole?"; "the team is a unit"
width
;
breadth
the extent of something from side to side
Z ↑zeroth law of thermodynamics
the law that if two bodies are in thermal equilibrium with a third body then the first two bodies are in thermal equilibrium with each other