PHYSICS DICTIONARY

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Electronegativity

Chemical property which describes tendency of an atom to accept electrons.

Electroplating

 See electro deposition.

Electroscope

An instrument which was first invented by William Gilbert in 16^th century, used to detect electric charge and measure its magnitude.

Electrostatic Precipitation

A process that removes suspended dust particles from a gas by applying electrostatic charge to the particles and collecting them on charged plates.

Electrochemical Cell

Arrangement in which two different metals are placed in conducting liquid called as electrolyte, with electrical potential difference between them. A pair of different metals arranged in this way is an electrochemical cell. This arrangement transfers chemical energy to electrical energy.

Electrodynamics

The quantum mechanical laws combined with laws of electricity came to be known as special branch called electrodynamics.

Electrolysis

The phenomenon which occurs in electrolytic cells involving breaking of electrolytes when electric current is passed through them.

Electrolyte

A solution through which an electric current may be generated by motion of ions.

Electromagnetic Radiation

Radiation which propagates in the form of wave in which electric field and magnetic field lies perpendicular to each other and also to the direction of propagation.

Electromagnet

It is a device consisting of a core of magnetic material such as iron, surrounded by a coil through which an electric current is passed to magnetize the core. Electromagnets are particularly useful where ever controllable magnets are required, as in devices in which the magnetic field is to be varied, reversed, or switched on and off. Other devices that utilize electromagnets include particle accelerators, telephone receivers, loudspeakers, and televisions.

Electromagnetic Induction

Phenomenon in electromagnetics as per which “any electric field that changes over time will produce a magnetic field in the space around it” and “any magnetic field that changes over time will produce an electric field in the space around it “.

 

Electromagnetic Interaction

The type of interaction between two charged particles by exchange of photons is called as electromagnetic interaction. The strength of electromagnetic interaction is given by dimensionless fine structure constant α = 1/137 and is due to photon exchanges. 

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Electromagnetic radiation fall in wide range from gamma rays (emitted by radioactive materials) having wavelengths on the order of 10^-14 meter, through x-rays, UV, Visible, Infrared and radio waves with wavelengths as long as 10⁵ meter.

Electromagnetic Theory

The theory which aims at explaining combined effect of electric & magnetic fields. This theory considers electric & magnetic force as different facets of more fundamental force. The most basic idea in electromagnetic theory is “a changing electric field generates a magnetic field” and “a changing magnetic field generates a electric field.” These principles are quantified by Maxwell’s equations, named for James Clerk Maxwell, the Scottish physicist and mathematician whose work in the 19th century established the discipline by revolutionizing how physicists conceived of light. The success of electromagnetic theory led to the collapse of the rest of Newtonian physics in the 20th century.

Electromagnetism

It is branch of physics which deals with electricity and magnetism, their interaction with each other and with electric charges and currents. Michael Faraday showed in 1831, that a changing magnetic field can induce a current in a circuit, and James Clerk Maxwell predicted that a changing electric field has an associated magnetic field.

Electrometer

High sensitive instrument used to measure electric charge or potential difference.

Electromotive Force

It is the work done on unit positive charge in taking it through low potential end to high potential end.

Electromotive Series

A ranking of metallic elements according to their standard electrochemical cell potentials.

Electron

It is an elementary particle classified as Lepton, having spin ½, negatively charged and which interacts weakly with other particles. 

(or)

It is a subatomic particle which carries a negative charge and is considered as the basic unit of electric charge. The rest mass of the electron is 9.109 × 10⁻³¹ kg. It is the basic unit of electric charge having value of 1.6 x 10^-19 Coulomb.