| Wave function |
a function of the coordinates of an electron's position in
three-dimensional space that describes the properties of the electron |
| Wave mechanical model |
a model for the hydrogen atom in which the electron is
assumed to behave as a standing wave |
| Wavelength |
the distance between two consecutive peaks or troughs in a
wave |
| Wave Mechanics |
A theory of matter based on the concept that elementary
particles possess wave properties |
| Wax |
an ester similar to a fat or a phospholipid but containing a
monohydroxy alcohol instead of glycerol |
| Weak acid |
an acid that dissociates only slightly in aqueous solution |
| Weak base |
a base that reacts with water to produce hydroxide ions to
only a slight extent in aqueous solution |
| Weak electrolyte |
a material which, when dissolved in water, gives a solution
that conducts only a small electric current |
| Weight |
the force exerted on an object by gravity |
| Work |
force acting over a distance |
| X-ray diffraction |
a technique for establishing the structures of crystalline
solids by directing X rays of a single wavelength at a crystal and obtaining a diffraction
pattern from which interatomic spaces can be determined |
| Zone of nuclear stability |
the area encompassing the stable nuclides on a plot of their
positions as a function of the number of protons and the number of neutrons in the nucleus |
| Zone refining |
a metallurgical process for obtaining a highly pure metal
that depends on continuously melting the impure material and recrystallizing the pure
metal |
