point source

A 'point source' is a concept used across various fields to describe a single, localized origin of emissions, whether they be pollutants, radiation, or other substances.

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Definition

C1Environmental Science

(technical)A single, identifiable origin of pollutants, such as a factory or sewage plant, emitting substances into the environment.

Example

  • The factory was identified as a point source of pollution affecting the river.

C1Physics

(technical)An idealized origin of radiation or waves that emits from a single location in space.

Example

  • In theoretical models, the radiation was treated as coming from a point source.

C1Astronomy

(technical)A celestial object, like a star, that appears as a small point of light due to its great distance.

Example

  • The star was observed as a point source of light in the telescope.

C1Optics

(technical)A source of light that is small enough to be considered a single point, emitting light in all directions.

Example

  • For the experiment, the laser was treated as a point source of light.

Similar

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "point source":

point massdouble pointdata pointpoint personpoint of contactreporting point