Atoms in Motion

1-1 Introduction

extent B2 noun
the physical size of an area

Surprisingly enough, in spite of the tremendous amount of work that has been done for all this time it is possible to condense the enormous mass of results to a large extent — that is, to find laws which summarize all our knowledge.

ignorance C1 noun
a lack of knowledge or information about something

First, we do not yet know all the basic laws: there is an expanding frontier of ignorance.

preparatory adj.
done in order to prepare for something

Therefore, one needs a considerable amount of preparatory training even to learn what the words mean. No, it is not possible to do it that way.

sole C1 adj.
only; single

Experiment is the sole judge of scientific “truth.”

beneath C1 preposition
in or to a lower position than somebody/something; under somebody/something

But also needed is imagination to create from these hints the great generalizations—to guess at the wonderful, simple, but very strange patterns beneath them all, and then to experiment to check again whether we have made the right guess.

apparatus C1 noun
[uncountable] the tools or other pieces of equipment that are needed for a particular activity or task

First, in a trivial way: if something is wrong with the apparatus that you did not notice.

snatch at phrasal verb
to try to take hold of something with your hands

So without snatching at such minor things, how can the results of an experiment be wrong?

periphery noun
the outer edge of a particular area

in particular, physics, but also of other sciences on the periphery

1-2 Matter is made of atoms

cataclysm

perpetual

magnify

paramecia

cilia

teeming

jittery

coarse

patiently

1-3 Atomic processes

crude

preponderance

solution

precipitation

1-4 Chemical reactions

vengeance

jostling

transpire

lo and behold