Geiger-Nuttall law

noun

Geiger-Nut·​tall law

variants or less commonly Geiger-Nuttall relation

¦⸗⸗¦nətˌȯl-

: a statement in nuclear physics: for an alpha-emitting radioactive substance the logarithm of the decay constant and the logarithm of the range in air of the emitted alpha rays are in linear relation to each other

Word History

Etymology

after H. Geiger and John M. Nuttall †1958 British physicist

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!