American Science Vocabulary

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering key scientists, inventions, concepts, and institutions in the history and development of American science and technology.

Benjamin Franklin

American polymath, scientist, inventor, writer and diplomat who conducted important experiments with electricity

Electricity

A form of energy associated with electric charge and the movement of electrons

Lightning rod

A metal device designed to protect buildings from lightning strikes

Gulf Stream

A powerful warm ocean current in the Atlantic Ocean studied by Benjamin Franklin

Polymath

A person with knowledge and achievements in several different fields

Samuel Slater

British-born industrialist who helped introduce British textile technology to the United States

Textile industry

An industry involved in producing fabrics, yarn and clothing

Industrialisation

The development of large-scale industry and mechanised production

Factory system

A method of production based on factories, machinery and organised labour

Mass production

The production of large quantities of goods using machines and organised processes

Technology transfer

The movement of technological knowledge and methods from one country or organisation to another

Thomas Edison

American inventor and entrepreneur famous for electric lighting, the phonograph and his research laboratory

Menlo Park

The New Jersey site of Edison's famous research laboratory

Research laboratory

A facility where scientists and engineers conduct experiments and develop new technologies

Industrial research

Scientific research organised specifically to develop useful technologies and products

Phonograph

An early device capable of recording and reproducing sound

Electric lighting

The use of electricity to produce artificial light

Power distribution

The system of delivering electrical power from generating stations to consumers

Patent

A legal right granting an inventor exclusive control over an invention for a limited period

Alexander Graham Bell

Scottish-born inventor who developed the telephone and carried out research into speech and hearing

Telephone

A device that transmits human speech over a distance

Telecommunication

The transmission of information over a distance using technological systems

Speech

The human ability to communicate through spoken language

Nikola Tesla

Inventor and electrical engineer known for his work on alternating current and induction motors

Alternating current

Electric current that periodically changes direction

Direct current

Electric current that flows continuously in one direction

AC

Abbreviation for alternating current

DC

Abbreviation for direct current

War of the Currents

Competition between systems based on alternating current and direct current

Induction motor

An electric motor that works using electromagnetic induction

Transformer

A device used to increase or decrease alternating voltage

Electrical grid

A network that generates, transmits and distributes electricity

Electromagnetism

The branch of physics concerned with electricity, magnetism and their relationship

Wright brothers

American brothers who developed and flew one of the first successful powered and controlled aeroplanes

Powered flight

Flight achieved using an engine or other source of mechanical power

Controlled flight

Flight in which the aircraft can be deliberately directed and stabilised

Kitty Hawk

Location in North Carolina associated with the Wright brothers' first successful powered flights

Glider

A light aircraft without an engine that flies by using aerodynamic forces

Wind tunnel

A device used to study the effects of air moving around objects

Aerodynamics

The study of how air moves around objects and affects their motion

Albert Einstein

German-born physicist who emigrated to the United States and became one of the most influential scientists of the twentieth century

Theoretical physics

The branch of physics that uses mathematical models to explain natural phenomena

Relativity

Einstein's theory describing space, time, gravity and motion

Photoelectric effect

The emission of electrons from a material when light strikes it

Quantum physics

The branch of physics dealing with matter and energy at very small scales

J. Robert Oppenheimer

American physicist who served as scientific director of the Manhattan Project

Manhattan Project

Secret US-led research programme that developed the first atomic bombs during World War II

Los Alamos

Laboratory in New Mexico where much of the scientific work on the atomic bomb was carried out

Nuclear physics

The branch of physics concerned with atomic nuclei and their interactions

Nuclear fission

A process in which an atomic nucleus splits and releases a large amount of energy

Atomic bomb

A weapon whose enormous energy comes from nuclear reactions

Trinity test

The first successful test of a nuclear weapon, conducted in New Mexico in 1945

Big Science

Large-scale scientific research requiring huge teams, funding and specialised infrastructure

Grace Hopper

American computer scientist and pioneer of computer programming and compiler development

Compiler

A program that translates code written in one programming language into another form that a computer can execute

COBOL

An early programming language designed especially for business and administrative applications

Computer science

The academic field concerned with computation, algorithms and information systems

Algorithm

A step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or performing a task

Jennifer Doudna

American biochemist known for her pioneering work on CRISPR gene-editing technology

CRISPR

A molecular system used to make precise changes to DNA

Gene editing

The process of deliberately modifying an organism's genetic material

DNA

The molecule that carries genetic information in living organisms

Biotechnology

The use of biological processes or organisms to develop useful products and technologies

Harvard University

The oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1636

Yale University

An American university founded as the Collegiate School in 1701

Princeton University

An American research university known for mathematics, physics and other academic fields

Ivy League

An athletic conference consisting of eight prestigious private universities in the northeastern United States

Endowment

Money and other assets donated to an institution and invested to provide long-term financial support

Research university

A university that places strong emphasis on original academic research

Higher education

Education provided by universities, colleges and other institutions after secondary school

Scientific community

The worldwide network of scientists who conduct research and share scientific knowledge

Government funding

Financial support for research and development provided by the state

Private investment

Money provided by individuals or companies to support businesses, research or technological development

Philanthropy

The practice of giving money or resources to support causes and institutions

R&D

Research and development aimed at creating or improving products, technologies and processes

Innovation

A new idea, method or technology that improves upon existing approaches

Invention

A new device, process or method created by a person

Scientific discovery

The identification of a previously unknown fact, phenomenon or principle

Scientific breakthrough

A major discovery or development that significantly advances knowledge or technology

Experiment

A controlled scientific procedure used to test a hypothesis

Hypothesis

A proposed explanation that can be tested through observation or experiment

Empirical evidence

Evidence based on observation or experiment rather than theory alone

Prototype

An early model of a product or invention used for testing and improvement

Practical application

A way in which scientific knowledge can be used to solve a real-world problem