Visionlearning Glossary

English naturalist, geographer and anthropologist, born in Monmouthshire (1823-1913). Wallace’s most important work was in the Malay Archipelago (now the Indonesian Archipelago), where he spent 8 years collecting specimens and making observations. During this time he published the essay “On the Law Which Has Regulated the Introduction of New Species,” and “On the Tendency of Varieties to Depart Indefinitely From the Original Type,” in which he introduced the idea of evolution through natural selection. For further information see Alfred Russel Wallace.

Used in the following modules: Ideas in Science: Theories, Hypotheses, and Laws

American molecular biologist born in Chicago, Illinois (1928-). His early work focused on bacterial viruses, but he is most well-known for his contributions to determining the double-helix structure of DNA in 1953 (at the young age of 25). For this work, Watson shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1962 with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins. For further information see James Watson.

Used in the following modules: Creativity in Science, DNA II, DNA III

The distance between corresponding points on two successive waves, generally measured from crest to crest.

Used in the following modules: Atomic Theory II, Data: Using Graphs and Visual Data, Light I, Light II, Wave Mathematics, Waves and Wave Motion

to accustom a young animal to food other than its mother’s milk. In farming, young animals are intentionally weaned early so that the mother’s milk may be harvested for human consumption. Human children are generally fully weaned around 2 years of age.

The destructive processes that change the physical and chemical charateristics of rocks at the earth's surface. Physical breakdown of large rocks into smaller rocks is called mechanical weathering; changes in a rock's composition due to exposure to the atmosphere and water is called chemical weathering.

Used in the following modules: Minerals I, Minerals III, The Carbon Cycle, The Rock Cycle

German astronomer, meteorologist and geophysicist born in Berlin (1880-1930). Wegener pioneered the use of balloons to track air circulation, and wrote a meteorology textbook that became the standard in Germany. His most famous work is the theory of continental drift, which he developed based on how the coastlines of Africa and South America fit together. In 1915, Wegener published his theory in The Origins of Continents and Oceans. Despite additional evidence for this theory (including the continuity of geologic formations and fossil distributions in now widely-separated continents), it did not gain acceptance in the scientific community until the 1960’s, long after his death. For further information see Alfred Wegener.

is a measure of the force exerted on an object by a gravitational field. The weight of an object equals its mass times the force of gravity, w=m*g.

Used in the following modules: Absorption, Distribution and Storage of Chemicals, Atomic Theory I, Chemical Equations, Density, Earth's Atmosphere, Energy, Gravity, Matter, Nuclear Chemistry, The Metric System, The Mole, The Periodic Table of Elements, The Rock Cycle

British physicist born in Pongaroa, New Zealand (1916-2004). Wilkins early work on phosphorescence led to his participation in the Manhattan Project and the development of better radar systems during World War II. After the war, Wilkins shifted his attention to biophysics and the X-ray diffraction patterns caused by DNA and other biological materials. Wilkins shared the 1962 Nobel Prize in Medicine with James Watson and Francis Crick for their work on the structure of DNA. For further information see Maurice Wilkins.

Canadian geophysicst, born in Ottawa, Ontario (1908-1993). Wilson is best known for proposing the hotspot hypothesis to explain island chains such as Hawaii. This hypothesis bolstered the theory of plate tectonics by resolving the issue of how active volcanoes could exist far from plate boundaries. He also proposed the existence of transform plate boundaries, where plates meet in transform faults such as the San Andreas. For further information see Tuzo Wilson.

Used in the following modules: Ideas in Science: Scientific Controversy, Plate Tectonics II

World Meteorological Organization

Used in the following modules: Ideas in Science: Scientific Controversy

A process that occurs when a force acts over a distance, as when an object is moved. Work equals the multiple of the applied force by distance, W = F*d. Work can be thought of as a process in which one form of energy is transformed into another and is commonly expressed in units of joules.

Used in the following modules: Chemical Bonding, Data: Uncertainty, Error, and Confidence, Data: Using Graphs and Visual Data, DNA I, Educational Web Design, Energy, Light II, Research Methods: Comparison, Research Methods: Description, Research Methods: Experimentation, Research Methods: Modeling, Research Methods: The Practice of Science, Scientific Communication: Peer Review, The Process of Science, Tracking Endangered Jaguars with Sergio Avila

A specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as an authoritative voice on the Earth’s atmosphere. More information about the WMO can be found at their official website.

Used in the following modules: Ideas in Science: Scientific Controversy

An English scientist (1632-1723) appointed as the Gresham Professor of Astronomy at Cambridge at the young age of 25. Wren was instrumental in the establishment of the Royal Society of London as one of the first scientific institutions and also made his name as an architect, particularly in the renovation of historic buildings in London after the Great Fire of 1666. For further information see Christopher Wren

Used in the following modules: Scientific Institutions and Societies