ground state

American  

noun

Physics.

1. the state of least energy of a particle, as an atom, or of a system of particles.

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ground state British  

noun

1. the lowest energy state of an atom, molecule, particle, etc Compare excited

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ground state Scientific  

1. The state of a physical system having the lowest possible potential energy. For example, an electron in the lowest energy orbital in a hydrogen atom is in a ground state. The ground state of a physical system tends to be stable unless energy is applied to it from the outside; states that are not the ground state have a tendency to revert to the ground state, giving off energy in the process.

2. Compare excited state

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Etymology

Origin of ground state

First recorded in 1925–30

Compare meaning

How does ground-state compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• ground state vs. excited state
• excited vs. ground state

Example Sentences

Then a quantum computer takes over to find the ground state’s precise solution.

From Science Magazine

"Except for very small systems, even the world's most powerful supercomputers are unable to find the exact ground state."

From Science Daily

It is a direct consequence of the unconventional ground state of AV3Sb5, which features multiple intertwined electronic orders.

From Science Daily

"We are very enthusiastic about the new insights that pushing these fibers into the quantum ground state will bring," emphasizes the research group leader.

From Science Daily

Laser light can cool a nanoscale-sized glass sphere to its motional ground state.

From Science Daily