The explosive or violent volatilizing and dissipating of a substance by heat, violent oxidation and similar means. It may be applied among other things to the destroying of a conductor by an intense current, or the volatilization of any material by the electric arc.

To cut off its supply of electric energy from an electric motor, or any device absorbing and worked by electric energy.

When a suspension needle which has been disturbed is oscillating the swings gradually decrease in amplitude if there is any damping, as there always is. The decrement is the ratio of the amplitude of one oscillation to the succeeding one. This ratio is the same for any successive swings.

The decomposition or separation of a compound liquid into its constituents by electrolysis. The liquid must be an electrolyte, q. v., and the decomposition proceeds subject to the laws of electrolysis, q. v.

The reduction of a compound substance into its constituents, as in chemical analysis. The constituents may themselves be compounds or proximate constituents, or may be elemental or ultimate constituents.

The deviation of the magnetic needle from the plane of the earth’s meridian. It is also called the variation of the compass.

The angle intercepted between the true meridian and the axis of a magnetic needle at any place. The angle is measured to east or west, starting from the true meridian as zero.

Prefix originally used in the metric system to signify one-tenth of, now extended to general scientific units. Thus decimeter means one-tenth of a meter; decigram, one-tenth of a gram.

The converse of recalescence, q. v. When a mass of steel is being heated as it reaches the temperature of recalescence it suddenly absorbs a large amount of heat, apparently growing cooler.

Death resulting from electricity discharged through the animal system. The exact conditions requisite for fatal results have not been determined. High electro-motive force is absolutely essential; a changing current, pulsatory or alternating, is most fatal, possibly because of the high electro-motive force of a portion of each period. Amperage probably has something to do with [...]