Terminology scientific terms, definitions

This table lists some abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols encountered in the physical sciences. Most entries in italic type are symbols for physical quantities for more details on these, see the table Symbols and Terminology for Physical and Chemical Quantities in this section. Additional information on units may be found in the table International System of Units (SI) in Section 1. Many of the terms to which these abbreviations refer are included in the tables Definitions of Scientific Terms in Section 2 and Techniques for Materials Characterization in Section 12. Useful references for further information are given below. 

All rain Is acidic but not aii rain is acid rain. Scientific terms have a precise definition. Does scientific vocabulary simply communicate our knowiedge in a neutral way or can it have vaiue-laden terminology ... 

This Handbook aims to explain terminology widely used, and sometimes misused, in analytical chemistry. It provides much more information than the definition of each term but it does not explain how to make measurements. Additionally, it does not attempt to provide comprehensive coverage of all terms concerned with chemistry, instrumentation or analytical science. The authors have addressed primarily those terms associated with the quality assurance, validation and reliability of analytical measurements. The Handbook attempts to place each term in context and put over concepts in a way which is useful to analysts in the laboratory, to students and their teachers, and to authors of scientific papers or books. This approach is particularly important because official definitions produced by many international committees and organisations responsible for developing standards are frequently confusing. In a few cases the wording of these definitions completely obscures their meaning from anyone not already familiar with the terms. 

Concepts from many different scientific disciplines are discussed in the different chapters of this book. A glossary of terms is provided to ensure that the terminology associated with each discipline is not an impediment to the reader. Each of the words defined in the Glossary is italicized when it appears in the definition of another word also defined in the Glossary. The definitions are written to present to the reader the essential aspects of a given term in the context in which it was used. These definitions, therefore, are not intended to be comprehensive. 

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