ground state


noun Physics.

the state of least energy of a particle, as an atom, or of a system of particles.
Also called ground level.

Origin of ground state

First recorded in 1925–30

British Dictionary definitions for ground state

ground state

ground level


noun

the lowest energy state of an atom, molecule, particle, etc Compare excited (def. 4)

Medical definitions for ground state

ground state

n.

The state of least possible energy in a physical system, as of atoms or molecules.

Scientific definitions for 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.