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ground state
noun
, Physics.
- the state of least energy of a particle, as an atom, or of a system of particles.
ground state
ground state
- 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.
- Compare excited state
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Word History and Origins
Origin of ground state1
First recorded in 1925–30
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