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concentration

(Encyclopedia)concentration, in chemistry, measure of the relative proportions of two or more quantities in a mixture. The concentration of a solute is very important in studying chemical reactions because it deter...

topology

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Möbius strip: On the ordinary flat loop (A), an ant walking along the middle of the strip will pass only around the outside of the strip. If the strip is cut along the dotted line, twisted onc...

initiative

(Encyclopedia)initiative, the originating of a law or constitutional amendment by popular petition. It is intended to allow the electorate to initiate legislation independently of the legislature. This direct form ...

Pride, Charley

(Encyclopedia)Pride, Charley (Charley Frank Pride), 1934–2020, American country singer, the first African-American country-music superstar, b. Sledge, Miss. He init...

valence, in chemistry

(Encyclopedia)valence, combining capacity of an atom expressed as the number of single bonds the atom can form or the number of electrons an element gives up or accepts when reacting to form a compound. Atoms are c...

infinity

(Encyclopedia)infinity, in mathematics, that which is not finite; it is often indicated by the symbol ∞. A sequence of numbers, a1, a2, a3, … , is said to “approach infinity” if the numbers eventually b...

baryon

(Encyclopedia)baryon bârˈēŏnˌ [key] [Gr.,=heavy], class of elementary particles that includes the proton, the neutron, and a large number of unstable, heavier particles, known as hyperons. From a technical poi...

du Bois, Guy Pène

(Encyclopedia)du Bois, Guy Pène gē pĕn dü bwä [key], 1884–1958, American painter and critic, b. Brooklyn, N.Y.; studied under William Chase and in Paris. In New York City after 1906 he worked as a reporter a...

Holt, Harold Edward

(Encyclopedia)Holt, Harold Edward, 1908–67, Australian political leader. After studying law, he entered politics and became associated with Robert Gordon Menzies. He held a number of cabinet offices in Menzies's ...

yarn

(Encyclopedia)yarn, fibers or filaments formed into a continuous strand for use in weaving textiles or for the manufacture of thread. A staple fiber, such as cotton, linen, or wool, is made into yarn by carding, co...