inverse square law

noun

, Physics, Optics.

1. one of several laws relating two quantities such that one quantity varies inversely as the square of the other, as the law that the illumination produced on a screen by a point source varies inversely as the square of the distance of the screen from the source.

inverse square law

noun

1. any natural law in which the magnitude of a physical quantity varies inversely with the square of the distance from its source

inverse-square law

1. The principle in physics that the effect of certain forces on an object varies by the inverse square of the distance between the object and the source of the force. The magnitude of light, sound, and gravity obey this law, as do other quantities. For example, an object placed three feet away from a light source will receive only one ninth ( 1 3 ² , the inverse of 3 squared) as much illumination as an object placed one foot from the light.

Example Sentences

Before you try to make light do what you want it to do, you’ll need to understand how it works, and the most important principle here is the inverse square law.

From Popular-Science

A very bright light, while still subject to the inverse square law, will not provide enough contrast as its intensity falls off as a dimmer light would.

From Popular-Science

Will an inverse square law of force keep a body moving in an elliptic orbit about the sun in one focus?

From Project Gutenberg