Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

472 results found

germanium

(Encyclopedia)germanium jərmāˈnēəm [key] [from Germany], semimetallic chemical element; symbol Ge; at. no. 32; at. wt. 72.63; m.p. 937.4℃; b.p. 2,830℃; sp. gr. 5.323 at 25℃; valence +2 or +4. Pure german...

gelatin

(Encyclopedia)gelatin or animal jelly, foodstuff obtained from connective tissue (found in hoofs, bones, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage) of vertebrate animals by the action of boiling water or dilute acid. It is...

hydrogen chloride

(Encyclopedia)hydrogen chloride, chemical compound, HCl, a colorless, poisonous gas with an unpleasant, acrid odor. It is very soluble in water and readily soluble in alcohol and ether. It fumes in moist air. It is...

chemical reaction

(Encyclopedia)chemical reaction, process by which one or more substances may be transformed into one or more new substances. Energy is released or is absorbed, but no loss in total molecular weight occurs. When, fo...

cloud chamber

(Encyclopedia)cloud chamber, device used to detect elementary particles and other ionizing radiation. A cloud chamber consists essentially of a closed container filled with a supersaturated vapor, e.g., water in ai...

shaft sinking

(Encyclopedia)shaft sinking, excavation from the surface of an opening in the earth. Shafts, which are generally vertical, are usually distinguished from tunnels, which are horizontal. Little difficulty is experien...

acoustics

(Encyclopedia)acoustics əko͞oˈstĭks [key] [Gr.,=the facts about hearing], the science of sound, including its production, propagation, and effects. Various branches of acoustics that deal with different aspects...

3D printer

(Encyclopedia)3D printer, computerized device that produces a three-dimensional object by creating it as a series of thin layers. The object is created from a model stored in computer-aided design file; the model i...

paint

(Encyclopedia)paint, mixture of a pigment and a binding medium, usually thinned with a solvent to form a liquid vehicle. The term includes lacquer, portland cement paint, printing ink, calcimine, and whitewash. Pai...

paleomagnetism

(Encyclopedia)paleomagnetism, study of the intensity and orientation of the earth's magnetic field as preserved in the magnetic orientation of certain minerals found in rocks formed throughout geologic time. Paleom...