cloud chamber: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical / Scientific / Academic
Quick answer
What does “cloud chamber” mean?
A device for making visible the paths of charged particles (like electrons or alpha particles) by means of a trail of condensed vapor.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A device for making visible the paths of charged particles (like electrons or alpha particles) by means of a trail of condensed vapor.
A scientific instrument, historically crucial in particle physics, where a supersaturated vapor (e.g., alcohol) condenses into droplets along the ionized track left by a passing particle, allowing its trajectory to be seen and photographed.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No lexical differences. Spelling conventions (e.g., 'vapor' vs. 'vapour') may apply in surrounding text but not to the term itself.
Connotations
Identical technical connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general discourse, used with identical rarity in scientific contexts in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “cloud chamber” in a Sentence
The [particle] was observed in the cloud chamber.They used a cloud chamber to detect [radiation].The [inventor] developed the cloud chamber in [year].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cloud chamber” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The team will cloud-chamber the results for clarity. (rare/technical)
American English
- They cloud-chambered the particle beam. (rare/technical)
adverb
British English
- None
American English
- None
adjective
British English
- The cloud-chamber photograph was definitive. (attributive use of noun)
American English
- Cloud-chamber data supported the theory. (attributive use of noun)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in history of science, physics education, and discussions of early 20th-century experimental physics.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Precise term for a specific type of particle detection apparatus.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cloud chamber”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cloud chamber”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cloud chamber”
- Using 'cloud chamber' to refer to a weather simulation chamber or a room with artificial fog.
- Misspelling as 'cloudchamber' (should be two words or hyphenated).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Rarely in frontline research. It's mainly used for educational demonstrations and historical reenactments, having been replaced by more advanced detectors like bubble chambers and wire chambers.
The Scottish physicist Charles Thomson Rees Wilson, who invented it around 1911 and later won the Nobel Prize for it in 1927.
Yes, with dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) or a Peltier cooler, isopropyl alcohol, and a clear container, it is a popular DIY science project to demonstrate cosmic rays.
A cloud chamber uses a supersaturated vapour to form droplets along a track. A bubble chamber uses a superheated liquid to form bubbles. Bubble chambers were generally more sensitive and succeeded cloud chambers in research.
Cloud chamber is usually technical / scientific / academic in register.
Cloud chamber: in British English it is pronounced /klaʊd ˈtʃeɪmbə(r)/, and in American English it is pronounced /klaʊd ˈtʃeɪmbər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a small, clear box where you can see the 'cloud trails' left by invisible cosmic particles racing through it, like contrails from a jet in a miniature sky.
Conceptual Metaphor
A WINDOW INTO THE INVISIBLE; A TRAP FOR TRACES.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary function of a cloud chamber?