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exclusion principle

American  

noun

Physics.
  1. the principle that in any system described by quantum mechanics no two identical particles having spin equal to half an odd integer can be in the same quantum state: first postulated for the electrons in atoms.


exclusion principle British  

noun

  1. See Pauli exclusion principle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

exclusion principle Scientific  
/ ĭk-sklo̅o̅zhən /

Etymology

Origin of exclusion principle

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

Understanding the origin of Pauli’s exclusion principle would unlock explanations for all of these deep facts of quotidian life.

From Scientific American Nov. 22, 2022

Pauli’s exclusion principle was merely a special case of this spin-statistics theorem, as it came to be known.

From Scientific American Nov. 22, 2022

The Pauli exclusion principle determines the maximum number of electrons allowed in each shell and subshell.

From Textbooks Aug. 12, 2015

This statement is known as the Pauli exclusion principle, because it excludes electrons from being in the same state.

From Textbooks Aug. 12, 2015

These stars would be supported by the exclusion principle repulsion between neutrons and protons, rather than between electrons.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

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