Glossary -- W

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wavelength

the distance between two crests or two troughs of a wave.

weather

the ever-changing combination of winds, clouds, temperature, and pressure at a particular location and time. Short timescale description of an atmosphere in contrast to climate.

weight

amount of the force of gravity felt by an object. It is measured in units of newtons. It depends on the strength of the surrounding gravity field.

white dwarf

the collapsed core for a dead low-mass star. The core is less than 1.4 solar masses and is about the diameter of the Earth. The pressure from degenerate electrons prevents further collapse.

Wien's law

relation between the wavelength of maximum emission in a thermal spectrum and its temperature: wavelength peak in nanometers = 2.9× 10⁶/temperature in Kelvin.

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last updated: May 27, 2010