Isotropic: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 23:54, 1 July 2015
Identical in all directions; invariant with respect to direction. For example, isotropic scattering of light by a substance entails that the intensity of light radiated is the same in all directions.
Isotropy
Isotrophy is uniformity in all orientations; it is derived from the Greek isos (ἴσος, "equal") and tropos (τρόπος, "way"). Precise definitions depend on the subject area. Exceptions, or inequalities, are frequently indicated by the prefix an, hence anisotropy. Anisotropy is also used to describe situations where properties vary systematically, dependent on direction. Isotropic radiation has the same intensity regardless of the direction of measurement, and an isotropic field exerts the same action regardless of how the test particle is oriented.[1]