PHYSICS DICTIONARY

 A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

<Prev>                   <Next>

Magnon

Quantum of a spin wave.

(or)

A quasi particle introduced to describe small departures from complete ordering of electron spins in ferro, ferri, and antiferro- magnetic substances.  


Majarona Forces

A nuclear force in which there is exchange of position coordinates only but not spin coordinates.


Manometer

Device used to measure pressure in terms of difference in height of two mercury columns, one open to atmosphere and other connected to source of unknown pressure.


Marginal Rays

The rays of light incident from the principle axis are called marginal rays.


Mars

It is fourth planet from sun in our solar system named after Roman god of war; which has period of revolution about sun of 687 days at a mean distance of 227.9 million km and a mean diameter of approximately 6,794kms.


Martensite

It is a meta-stable iron phase super saturated in Carbon that is the product of diffusion less transformation from Austenitic. 


MASER

It is acronym for Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of radiation. First MASER was built in 1951 by Charles. H. Townes. It is a device for coherent amplification or generation of electromagnetic waves by use of excitation energy in resonant atomic or molecular systems. The device uses an unstable ensemble of atoms or molecules that may be stimulated by an electromagnetic wave to radiate energy at same frequency and phase as simulating wave, thus providing coherent amplification.  


Mass Defect

The measured mass or actual mass of atom is less than sum of masses of constituent nucleons. The difference is referred to as    mass defect.


Mass Number

It is the number which represents the total sum of nucleons for a particular atom. It is denoted as superscript to an element.


Mass Spectrometer

Mass spectroscopy is a methodology that is extensively used to determine properties of charged particles. The basic principle of this technique is to dissociate the sample into smaller fragments and then let them pass through a high magnetic field. The charged particles get deflected in the magnetic field with the degree of deflection proportional to their mass to charge ratio (m/e). These deflected particles are then collected by a position sensitive detector, such as a micro channel PMT.


Mass

Mass is an attribute and not a physical thing. Mass is the attribute “inertia” of a physical object or of whatever is contained in a specific region of space.


Materialistic Wave

Louis de Broglie postulated that a wave has to be associated with each moving material particle called as matter wave. The wavelength of this wave is determined by momentum of particle. The waves are not perceptible for macroscopic bodies but for microscopic bodies.


Material Science/Engineering

The discipline of materials science involves the investigating the relationships that exist between the structures and properties of materials. In contrast, Materials Engineering is on the basis of these structure-property correlations, designing or engineering the structure of a material to produce a predetermined set of properties.


Matheissan’s Rule

According to this rule, electrical resistivity of metals is sum of resistivity due to impurities and temperature dependant resistivity.  Even at absolute zero, the metals have non zero resistivity which is due to presence of impurities.


Matter

It is tangible stuff; what when one can touch and sense with your hands and so a physical thing.


Maxwell

The CGS unit of magnetic flux defined as the flux through one square centimeter normal to a magnetic field of 1 Gauss.


Mcleod Gauge

A McLeod gauge is an absolute pressure standard to which many other vacuum gauges are calibrated.  It will accurately measure the total pressure of non-condensable permanent gases (i.e. hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, etc.) in a vacuum system, but will not correctly measure condensable vapors if present. This form of vacuum gauge was invented in 1874 By H. G. McLeod to measure pressures of the order of 10-2 to 10-7 Torr. The calibration of the gauge for non-condensable gases is based upon Boyles’ law for gases and therefore measurement of the volume of the glass bulb and the volume per unit length or bore of the capillary tubes is made with high precision.


Mean

The mean, except in statistics courses and scientific journals, is more commonly known as the average. The mean is perhaps the most widely used and reported measure of central tendency. The mean is quite simple to calculate: Simply add all the numbers in the data set and then divide by the total number of entries. The result is the mean of the distribution.


Mean Free Path

It is a microscopic quantity of a matter which is defined as average distance travelled by an atom/molecule/electron between two successive collisions in a medium.


Mean Deviation

The average of the deviations of the individual values from the arithmetic mean is called mean deviation.


Mean Life (Radiation Physics)

 Reciprocal of decay constant is called average life of radioactive species.


Mechanical Energy

 It is energy possessed by an object by virtue of its kinetic energy or potential energy or combination of   both.


Mechanical Equilibrium

When there is no unbalanced force between system and its surroundings, the system is said to be in mechanical equilibrium.


Mechanical Equivalent of Heat

 It is defined as work done to produce a quantity of heat. It is denoted by ‘J’. J=W/H. In CGS system ‘W’ is ergs, ‘H’ in calories, J= 4.18 Joules/Cal


PHYSICS DICTIONARY

 A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z


<Prev>                   <Next>

Liquid Drop Model

It was theory proposed by Niel Bohr in 1936, which treats the nucleons as if they were molecules in a spherical drop of liquid. Scattering experiments with various particles such as electrons, nucleons and α- particles reveal that to a first approximation, nuclei can be considered spherical with essentially constant density.


Lissajous Figures

When a particle is influenced simultaneously by two simple harmonic motions at right angles to each other, the resultant motion of particle traces a curve called Lissajous figure. Lissajous figures are helpful in determining ratio of time periods of two vibrations.


Llyod’s Mirror

Classic optical experiment in which the arrangement produces interference pattern produced when part of the light from a slit falls directly on a screen, and part is reflected from a mirror whose surface makes a small angle with the incident beam.


Logarithm

The exponent indicating the power to which a fixed number, the base, must be raised to obtain a given number or variable.    

     If ax = M; then logarithm of ‘M’ to base ‘a’ is ‘x’.

or

Logarithm is defined as the exponent that indicates the power to which a number is raised to produce a given number (i.e., the logarithm of 100 to the base 10 is 2).


London Penetration Depth

 It is the distance inside the surface of superconductor at which flux density falls to 1/e of its value at the surface.


Long Range Alpha Particles

If the parent alpha emitter emits alpha particles when it is in an excited state then we get long range alpha particles.


Longitudinal Strain

It is the change in length per unit original length or it is fractional change in length.


Longitudinal Stress

When a force is applied on a body such that there is a change in the length of the body, the longitudinal force per unit area is called longitudinal stress.


Longitudinal Wave Motion

Wave motion in which particles of medium vibrate along the direction of propagation of wave.

 

Longitudinal Wave

Wave motion in which particles of medium vibrate along direction of propagation of wave.


Lorentz Fitzerald Contraction

The length of moving rod is contracted along the direction of motion by a factor sqrt[1-(v2/c2)] while there is no contraction along a direction perpendicular to the direction of motion.


Lorentz Force

The force which acts on an electric charge when placed in magnetic field is called as Lorentz force. The total force on a charge ‘q’ moving with velocity ‘V’ in an electric field ‘E’ and magnetic field ‘B’ is F = q(E+VxB). Magnetic Lorentz force is perpendicularly to both velocity ‘V’ and the magnetic fiekld ‘B’. Hence it does no work for a steady magnetic field.


Lorentz-Fitzerald Contraction

Every rigid body appears to have maximum dimensions when at rest relative to the observer. Its dimension appear to be contracted in the direction of relative motion by factor               sqrt(1 - V2/C2) when it moves with velocity ‘V’ relative to observer.


Loschmidt’s Number

The no. of molecules per unit volume of an ideal gas at 0 oc and normal atmospheric pressure. The number is 2.68719±0.0001 x 1019 cm-3.


Loud Speaker

Device used to convert electrical energy usually generated by microphone into sound energy. The loud speaker consists of a diaphragm and an electromagnet. When the changing current flows through the coil of an electromagnet, the magnetic flux also changes. Due to change in magnetic flux, the diaphragm is set into vibration. Hence electrical energy is converted into sound. 


Loudness of Sound

The amount of sound energy crossing per unit area around a point in one second is known as intensity of sound.

Loudness α log (intensity); ‘L’ represents sensation of loudness; ‘I’ represents intensity of sound


LS Coupling

It is also called Russell – Saunders scheme. This is the coupling of total orbital angular momentum L with total spin angular momentum S, to give a total momentum J. This coupling first involves independent coupling of individual electronic orbital angular momentum to give a total resultant orbital angular momentum (L) and the independent coupling of individual spin angular momentum to give resultant total spin momentum ‘S’. 


Lumen
It is the amount of light energy emitted per second by a uniform (point) source of one candela with in a cone of unit solid angle.

Luminescence
The property of emission of light by solids due to electron transitions is called as Luminescence. The phenomenon exhibited by some semiconductors, particularly compound semiconductors with direct band gaps in which electrons (carriers) are excited into higher impurity levels from which they fall into equilibrium states, giving off light. 

Luminosity
The comparative degree to which light of a given wavelength induces sensation of brightness when perceived.   
or
The relative quantity of radiation emitted by celestial source such as star.  

Luminous Flux
Total visible energy emitted by a source per unit time is called as total luminous flux from the source.

Lunar month
Time taken by the earth to complete one revolution round the sun.

Lux
SI unit of illuminance, equal to one lumen /m2.

Lyman Series
The spectrum of wavelength falling in Ultraviolet region of electromagnetic spectrum due to transition of electrons from higher energy states (orbits) to first orbit (inner most orbit) is called Lyman series.

PHYSICS DICTIONARY

 A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z


<Prev>                   <Next> 
 

LED

It is a forward biased PN junction which emits light when energized. The electrons that are injected into P-region makes a downward transition from conduction band to the valence band, and recombine with holes emitting photons with energy equal to band gap energy.


Lens

It is an optical device which transmits & refracts light, converging or diverging the beams.


Lenz’s Law

When an electromotive force is induced in a conductor by any change in relation between the conductor and the magnetic field, the direction of electromotive force is such as to produce a current whose magnetic field will oppose the change.


Lepton

Any Fermion lighter than Proton is called Lepton.


Lienard Wiechart Potential

Lienard Wiechart potentials are magnetic vectors which are used to find radiation from accelerated charges moving on a specified trajectory path. Relativistic retarded potentials are called Lienard Wiechart potentials.


Light

The term light is generally applied to visible light having wavelength in the range of 380nm to 740nm.


Light Year

Unit of distance used in astronomy. As defined by International Astronomical Union (IAU), it is the distance that light travels in vacuum in one Julian year. It equals about 5.88 Trillion miles or 9.46 Trillion kilometers.


Lightening Conductor

It is originally proposed by Benjamin Franklin. It is a metallic rod generally attached to roof of building. A good conducting wire is connected from lightening conductor to the conductive grid buried in the earth. When lightning strikes, the enormous current would be driven to ground through conducting wire which offers low resistance path to ground.


Limiting Friction

Least force necessary to set a body in motion.


Linde’s Process

It is a process of liquefication of gas which depends on Joule Thomson effect. The Linde’s process is known as adiabatic expansion of compressed gas.

 

Line Spectrum

Hot gases or vapors in atomic state produce line spectrum. Line spectrum is due to electronic transition from higher orbits to lower orbits. Line spectrum is characteristic property of the atom producing light and it differs from one element to other. Line spectrum is also called ionic spectrum or atomic spectrum. It consists of bright lines of different colors against dark background. The intensity of one line is different from other. Line spectrum is “discontinuous “one.


LINEAC (Linear Accelerator)

Device/ arrangement to accelerate charged particles like electrons/protons to high energies of order of MeV. It is an arrangement of lengthy volume containing multiple tubes called drift tubes whose potential is varied by predetermined RF oscillator such that the charged particle leaving each tube will leave with high energy.


Linear Attenuation Coefficient

If a collimated beam of mono energetic gamma rays of intensity ‘IO’ passes through a thickness ‘x’ of absorber, the intensity ‘Ix’ of emerging photons which have not suffered any interaction is given by Ix = Io e-µx. ‘µ’ is called linear absorption coefficient.


Linear Energy Transfer

A measure of the ability of biological material to absorb energy from ionizing radiation, specifically for charged particles traversing a medium, the energy lost per unit length of path.


Linear Momentum

Linear momentum of a body is ability of body to impart motion to other bodies. It is product of mass and velocity of a body.


Linear Regression

Linear regression is a method of estimating or predicting a value of some dependent variable given the values of one or more independent variables. Like correlations, statistical regression examines the association or relationship between variables.

or

Linear regression refers to fitting a straight line to the data. The fitting is mostly done using a technique called least square fitting.


Linear System

A system where all the interrelationships among the quantities involved are expressed by linear equations which may be algebraic, differential or integral is called as linear system.


Liquification of Gases

Process of liquefying gas by applying pressure on it at a temperature below its critical temperature.