Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Reynolds number

(Encyclopedia)Reynolds number [for Osborne Reynolds], dimensionless quantity associated with the smoothness of flow of a fluid. It is an important quantity used in aerodynamics and hydraulics. At low velocities flu...

oxidation number

(Encyclopedia)oxidation number or oxidation state: see valence. ...

domino theory

(Encyclopedia)domino theory, the notion that if one country becomes Communist, other nations in the region will probably follow, like dominoes falling in a line. The analogy, first applied (1954) to Southeast Asia ...

communication theory

(Encyclopedia)communication theory: see information theory. ...

chaos theory

(Encyclopedia)chaos theory, in mathematics, physics, and other fields, a set of ideas that attempts to reveal structure in aperiodic, unpredictable dynamic systems such as cloud formation or the fluctuation of biol...

encounter theory

(Encyclopedia)encounter theory, in astronomy, see solar system. ...

BCS theory

(Encyclopedia)BCS theory: see superconductivity. ...

string theory

(Encyclopedia)string theory, description of elementary particles based on one-dimensional curves, or “strings,” instead of point particles. Superstring theory, which is string theory that contains a kind of sym...

tidal theory

(Encyclopedia)tidal theory: see solar system.

planetesimal theory

(Encyclopedia)planetesimal theory plănˌĭtĕsˈəməl [key]: see solar system. ...