Matter & Energy, VIS-YIE
Matter is the material substance that constitutes the observable universe and, together with energy, forms the basis of all objective phenomena. Energy, in physics, is the capacity for doing work. It may exist in potential, kinetic, thermal, electrical, chemical, nuclear, or other various forms.
Matter & Energy Encyclopedia Articles By Title
viscosity
viscosity, resistance of a fluid (liquid or gas) to a change in shape, or movement of neighbouring portions relative......
vitamin
vitamin, any of several organic substances that are necessary in small quantities for normal health and growth......
vitamin A
vitamin A, a fat-soluble alcohol, most abundant in fatty fish and especially in fish-liver oils. Vitamin A is also......
vitamin B complex
vitamin B complex, several vitamins that traditionally have been grouped together because of loose similarities......
vitamin B12
vitamin B12, a complex water-soluble organic compound that is essential to a number of microorganisms and animals,......
vitamin B6
vitamin B6, water-soluble organic compound that is an essential micronutrient for microorganisms and animals. It......
vitamin C
vitamin C, water-soluble, carbohydrate-like substance that is essential for human health. Chemically, it is a six-carbon......
vitamin D
vitamin D, any of a group of fat-soluble vitamins important in calcium metabolism in animals. It is formed by ultraviolet......
vitamin E
vitamin E, a fat-soluble compound found principally in certain plant oils and the leaves of green vegetables. Wheat-germ......
vitamin K
vitamin K, any of several fat-soluble naphthoquinone compounds. Vitamin K (from the Danish word koagulation) is......
vitriol
vitriol, any of certain hydrated sulfates or sulfuric acid. Most of the vitriols have important and varied industrial......
volt
volt, unit of electrical potential, potential difference and electromotive force in the metreâkilogramâsecond system......
volumetric analysis
volumetric analysis, any method of quantitative chemical analysis in which the amount of a substance is determined......
von Willebrand factor
von Willebrand factor (vWF, or VWF), glycoprotein that plays an important role in stopping the escape of blood......
W particle
W particle, one of two massive electrically charged subatomic particles that are thought to transmit the weak forceâthat......
warfarin
warfarin, anticoagulant drug, marketed as Coumadin. Originally developed to treat thromboembolism (see thrombosis),......
water
water, a substance composed of the chemical elements hydrogen and oxygen and existing in gaseous, liquid, and solid......
Water Explained in 5 Questions
In the series Explained in 5 Questions, experts take on big topics and help you understand them better. list, water,......
waterpower
waterpower, power produced by a stream of water as it turns a wheel or similar device. The waterwheel was probably......
wave
wave, propagation of disturbances from place to place in a regular and organized way. Most familiar are surface......
wave
wave, a ridge or swell on the surface of a body of water, normally having a forward motion distinct from the oscillatory......
wave front
wave front, imaginary surface representing corresponding points of a wave that vibrate in unison. When identical......
wave function
wave function, in quantum mechanics, variable quantity that mathematically describes the wave characteristics of......
wave motion
wave motion, propagation of disturbancesâthat is, deviations from a state of rest or equilibriumâfrom place to......
wave power
wave power, a form of renewable energy in which electricity is generated by harnessing the up-and-down motion of......
wave velocity
wave velocity, distance traversed by a periodic, or cyclic, motion per unit time (in any direction). Wave velocity......
wave-particle duality
wave-particle duality, possession by physical entities (such as light and electrons) of both wavelike and particle-like......
wavelength
wavelength, distance between corresponding points of two consecutive waves. âCorresponding pointsâ refers to two......
wavenumber
wavenumber, a unit of frequency, often used in atomic, molecular, and nuclear spectroscopy, equal to the true frequency......
weak interaction
weak interaction, a fundamental force of nature that underlies some forms of radioactivity, governs the decay of......
weakly interacting massive particle
weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP), heavy, electromagnetically neutral subatomic particle that is hypothesized......
wear
wear, the removal of material from a solid surface as a result of mechanical action exerted by another solid. Wear......
weight
weight, gravitational force of attraction on an object, caused by the presence of a massive second object, such......
weightlessness
weightlessness, condition experienced while in free-fall, in which the effect of gravity is canceled by the inertial......
Wet-bulb temperature
Wet-bulb temperature (WBT), lowest temperature to which a person or an object can be cooled solely by the evaporation......
What causes a drought?
Droughts occur when evaporation and transpiration rates consistently exceed precipitation over an extended period......
What causes a rainbow?
What causes a rainbow?, The formation of a rainbow begins with the refraction of sunlight as it enters a raindrop.......
What causes acid rain?
The main contributors to acid rain are sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx; the combination of NO and......
What causes mirages?
While it is commonly thought that mirages result from peopleâs imagination, the phenomenon is actually caused by......
What causes tides in the ccean?
The main cause of tides in the ocean are the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun on Earth. When......
What Causes Tsunamis?
As natural disasters go, tsunamis are among the worst in terms of overall destruction and loss of life. They rival......
What color is the hottest flame?
Want to know how hot a fire is burning? The color of its flames can help. When something burns, it is undergoing......
What color is the universe?
Not black, despite what the night sky may suggest. The vast expanse of the universe that separates stars and galaxiesâspace......
What Is Antimatter?
What do you get when you combine the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics? No joke hereâjust a revolutionary......
What Is Astatine Used For?
Astatine (At) has no established industrial, commercial, or household uses, because of its extreme scarcity and......
What is dark matter?
Although dark matter is not well understood, it is clearly a crucial component of the universe. Because it is electromagnetically......
What is Hexavalent Chromium (or Chromium-6)?
Many people know hexavalent chromium as a silent antagonist in the biopic Erin Brockovich (2000), which starred......
What Is the Difference Between a Meteotsunami, a Seiche, and a Storm Surge?
A meteotsunami is a large sea wave, with a wave height of two metres (about 6 feet) or more. Unlike seismic tsunamis,......
What Is the Difference Between a Peptide and a Protein?
Proteins and peptides are fundamental components of cells that carry out important biological functions. Proteins......
What is the difference between cotton and polyester?
Cotton and polyester can both be made into fabrics, but they are otherwise very different. Cotton is a natural......
What Is the Difference Between DNA and RNA?
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) are complex molecular structures that control all hereditary......
What is the difference between energy and power?
Energy and power, while closely related, are distinct concepts in science, each with its unique characteristics......
What Is the Difference Between Iron and Steel?
Iron and steel differ in their composition and properties. Iron (Fe) is a chemical element and the most abundant......
What is the difference between mass and density?
Mass and density are fundamental but distinct physical quantities used to describe matter. Mass is a quantitative......
What is the difference between mass and volume?
Mass and volume are two fundamental properties used to describe matter, but they refer to different physical concepts.......
What is the difference between mass and weight?
Mass is a fundamental property of an object that quantifies the amount of matter it contains by measuring its inertia.......
What Makes a Wave Go Rogue?
Many a tall tale has been inspired by the worldâs oceans, from stories of mysterious sea monsters to legends about......
Whatâs the difference between planets and stars?
Stars burn bright and hot due to nuclear fusion reactions occurring in their cores. This process involves the fusion......
Whatâs the Difference Between Speed and Velocity?
When describing the motion of objects in terms of distance, time, and direction, physicists use the basic quantities......
When Was the Periodic Table Invented?
The periodic table was invented by Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869. However, prior to Mendeleev, chemists......
whistler
whistler, electromagnetic wave propagating through the atmosphere that occasionally is detected by a sensitive......
White
White, in physics, light seen by the human eye when all wavelengths of the visible spectrum combine. Like black,......
white noise
white noise, in music, the effect of the complete range of audible sound-wave frequencies heard simultaneously,......
Why Are Flamingos Pink?
Flamingos are long-legged wading birds that are usually covered in bright pink feathers. With a name that derives......
Why are gymnasts so short?
The average female gymnast is about 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall. That is about 4 inches (10 cm) less than the average......
Why are higher elevations colder?
Higher elevations are colder primarily due to the decrease in atmospheric pressure that results from the expansion......
Why are plants green?
Plants are green because of a pigment found in the chloroplasts of plant cells called chlorophyll. It plays a crucial......
Why are rainbows curved?
Rainbows are curved because of the way sunlight interacts with water droplets in the atmosphere. When sunlight......
Why are rip currents dangerous?
Rip currents are dangerous primarily because they are often more powerful than they initially seem and move quickly,......
Why Are Some Metals More Conductive than Others?
All metals can conduct heat and electric current, but some are more effective conductors than others. What are......
Why Are Tomatoes Red?
Most tomatoes are red when they are ripe, because of the presence of lycopene, which is a phytochemical (a biologically......
Why Do Coke and Mentos React?
They donât, at least not chemically. What we see when a Mentos candy is dropped into Cokeâa fountain of soda erupting......
Why do humans need water?
Water makes up more than half the body weight of adult humans. That value is 75 percent for babies. As an essential......
Why do we have seasons?
Seasons occur due to the tilt of Earthâs axis, which is approximately 23.5°. Because of this tilt, each hemisphere......
Why Does a Football Swerve?
A football, or soccer ball, swerves because of the Magnus effect, in which air moving around the ball creates an......
Why Does Blood Taste Like Metal?
Blood is often described as having a metallic taste because it contains a large amount of iron, mainly within hemoglobin,......
Why does ice float on water?
Ice floats on water because it is less dense than its liquid form. In the liquid state, most water molecules are......
Why Does Salt Melt Ice?
More than 20 million tons of salt are used every year to melt snow and ice in cold northern regions. But how does......
Why Does the Tropic of Cancerâs Location on Earth Move Over Time?
The Tropic of Cancer is a line of latitude approximately 23°27âČ north of Earthâs Equator. This latitude corresponds......
Why Does Water Freeze from the Top Down?
We drink water, we swim in it, we wash with it, and we cool things down with it. Because water is so common, many......
Why Is a Group of Molecules Called a Mole?
Itâs one of the first things you learn in chemistry: Atoms and molecules are so small that even a few grams of......
Why Is Eating Protein Important?
There are three basic macronutrients that the body needs to survive: fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Proteins......
Why is nitrogen essential to life?
Nitrogen is fundamental to life because it is needed to make DNA and RNA, which carry genetic information, and......
Why is summer warmer than winter?
The temperature people feel outside is largely based on the absorption of radiant energy from the Sun. Differing......
Why is the ocean blue?
When sunlight hits the ocean, the different wavelengths of light are either absorbed or scattered by water molecules......
Why Is the Ocean Salty?
âWater, water everywhere,/ Nor any drop to drink.â This famous line, spoken by the lost sailor in Samuel Taylor......
Why Is There Fresh and Salt Water on Earth?
Rain and other forms of precipitation fall on our planet as slightly acidic fresh water. As some of this water......
Wienâs law
Wienâs law, relationship between the temperature of a blackbody (an ideal substance that emits and absorbs all......
Wind chill
Wind chill, a measure of the rate of heat loss from skin that is exposed to the air. It is based on the fact that,......
wind energy
wind energy, form of solar energy that is produced by the movement of air relative to Earthâs surface. This form......
wind power
wind power, form of energy conversion in which turbines convert the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical or electrical......
work
work, in physics, measure of energy transfer that occurs when an object is moved over a distance by an external......
X-ray
X-ray, electromagnetic radiation of extremely short wavelength and high frequency, with wavelengths ranging from......
X-ray diffraction
X-ray diffraction, phenomenon in which the atoms of a crystal, by virtue of their uniform spacing, cause an interference......
xanthan gum
xanthan gum, water-soluble polysaccharide compound that is produced by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris and......
xenon
xenon (Xe), chemical element, a heavy and extremely rare gas of Group 18 (noble gases) of the periodic table. It......
xylene
xylene, any of three isomeric dimethylbenzenes [which have the same chemical formula, C6H4(CH3)2, but different......
Yang-Mills theory
Yang-Mills theory, in physics, a generalization of Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwellâs unified theory of electromagnetism,......
Yellow
Yellow, in physics, light in the wavelength range of 570â580 nanometres, which is in the middle of the visible......
yield point
yield point, in mechanical engineering, load at which a solid material that is being stretched begins to flow,......