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gram-atomic weight

(Encyclopedia)gram-atomic weight, amount of an atomic substance whose weight, in grams, is numerically equal to the atomic weight of that substance. For example, 1 gram-atomic weight of atomic oxygen, O (atomic wei...

atomic mass unit

(Encyclopedia)atomic mass unit or amu, in chemistry and physics, unit defined as exactly 1⁄12 the mass of an atom of carbon-12, the isotope of carbon with six protons and six neutrons in its nucleus. One amu is e...

calico

(Encyclopedia)calico, plain weave cotton fabric in one or more colors. Calico, named for Calicut, India, where the fabric originated, was mentioned by historians before the Christian era and praised by early travel...

Dukakis, Michael Stanley

(Encyclopedia)Dukakis, Michael Stanley do͞okäkˈĭs [key], 1933–, American political leader, b. Brookline, Mass. He was a Democratic member of the Massachusetts house of representatives (1963–70) and was twic...

color blindness

(Encyclopedia)color blindness, visual defect resulting in the inability to distinguish colors. About 8% of men and 0.5% of women experience some difficulty in color perception. Color blindness is usually an inherit...

blockade

(Encyclopedia)blockade, use of naval forces to cut off maritime communication and supply. Blockades may be used to prevent shipping from reaching enemy ports, or they may serve purposes of coercion. The term is rar...

Provo, city, United States

(Encyclopedia)Provo prōˈvō [key], city (1990 pop. 86,835), seat of Utah co., N central Utah, on the Provo River near Utah Lake; inc. 1851. It is a distribution, processing, and manufacturing center in an extensi...

hertz

(Encyclopedia)hertz hûrts [key] [for Heinrich R. Hertz], abbr. Hz, unit of frequency, equal to 1 cycle per second. The term is combined with metric prefixes to denote multiple units such as the kilohertz (1,000 Hz...

Gunter, Edmund

(Encyclopedia)Gunter, Edmund, 1581–1626, English mathematician and astronomer, educated at Westminster School, London, and Christ Church, Oxford. He invented (1618) a small portable quadrant and discovered (1622)...

module

(Encyclopedia)module. 1 Term derived from the Latin modulus, a unit of measure in classical architecture equal to half the diameter of a column at its base. This unit was used in proportioning the classical orders ...