Terms starting with W
21 terms
W and Z Bosons
Massive elementary vector gauge bosons that mediate the weak nuclear interaction.
Geophysics & Environmental PhysicsWadati-Benioff Zone
A planar dipping zone of earthquake foci produced by the subduction of a cold, rigid oceanic lithospheric plate into the mantle.
Thermodynamics & Statistical PhysicsWater Equivalent
The mass of water that absorbs or releases the exact same amount of heat as a calorimeter body for an identical temperature change.
Electromagnetism & ElectronicsWattless Current
The component of alternating current that is 90 degrees out of phase with AC voltage, consuming zero net electrical power.
Waves, Oscillations & AcousticsWave Dispersion
The phenomenon where wave phase velocity depends on wave frequency or wavelength in a medium.
Quantum & Atomic PhysicsWave Function
A complex-valued mathematical function containing all the physical information about the state of an isolated quantum mechanical system.
Waves, Oscillations & AcousticsWave Number
A spatial frequency measure expressing the number of radians or wave cycles per unit distance.
Waves, Oscillations & AcousticsWave Packet
A short localized burst or envelope of wave energy formed by the superposition of multiple waves with slightly different frequencies.
Quantum & Atomic PhysicsWave-Particle Duality
The fundamental quantum mechanical principle stating that every subatomic entity exhibits both wave-like and particle-like behavior…
Waves, Oscillations & AcousticsWaveform
The visual shape or graph of a signal or wave as a function of time or spatial position.
Nuclear & Particle PhysicsWeak Nuclear Force
The short-range fundamental interaction responsible for flavor-changing particle transformations, neutrino interactions, and radioactive…
Biophysics & Medical PhysicsWeber-Fechner Law
A psychophysical law stating that human subjective sensory perception is proportional to the logarithm of the physical stimulus intensity.
Foundations of PhysicsWeight
The downward gravitational force exerted on an object's mass by a surrounding gravitational field.
Electromagnetism & ElectronicsWheatstone Bridge
An electrical bridge network consisting of four resistor arms used to measure an unknown electrical resistance with high precision.
Plasma PhysicsWhistler Waves
A right-hand circularly polarized electromagnetic wave mode propagating along magnetic field lines in a magnetized plasma below electron…
Astrophysics, Cosmology & RelativityWhite Dwarf
The dense stellar remnant remaining after a low-to-medium mass star exhausts its core nuclear fuel and sheds its outer layers.
Thermodynamics & Statistical PhysicsWien's Displacement Law
The physical law stating that peak emission wavelength of a blackbody spectrum is inversely proportional to its absolute temperature.
Classical MechanicsWork
The scalar energy transferred to or from an object by a force acting through a displacement.
Condensed Matter & Materials PhysicsWork Hardening
The strengthening of a metal by plastic deformation, caused by dislocation multiplication and entanglement obstructing further slip.
Classical MechanicsWork-Energy Theorem
The principle stating that net work done by all forces acting on an object equals the net change in its kinetic energy.
Astrophysics, Cosmology & RelativityWormhole
A hypothetical topological feature of spacetime creating a shortcut connecting two separate points in space and time.