Nuclear quadrupole resonance
Nuclear quadrupole resonance is a fancy way of saying that we can make really tiny particles called atoms move and vibrate in a very specific way.
You see, atoms are made up of even tinier things called protons and neutrons that are stuck together in the center like a little ball. These protons and neutrons give the atom its weight and shape.
Now, some atoms have something called an electric charge that can make them vibrate when we zap them with a special kind of energy. And when these charged atoms vibrate, they also make their neighbors vibrate too, in a special pattern that tells us all sorts of information about them.
Scientists use a special machine to send this energy into the atoms and then listen and look very carefully at how the atoms vibrate in response.
This is called nuclear quadrupole resonance because the atom's vibrations are affected by the way their charge is shaped, which causes the vibrations to have a certain pattern or shape.
Nuclear quadrupole resonance is used in all sorts of different fields, from medical research to chemistry and physics, to help us better understand the world around us.
You see, atoms are made up of even tinier things called protons and neutrons that are stuck together in the center like a little ball. These protons and neutrons give the atom its weight and shape.
Now, some atoms have something called an electric charge that can make them vibrate when we zap them with a special kind of energy. And when these charged atoms vibrate, they also make their neighbors vibrate too, in a special pattern that tells us all sorts of information about them.
Scientists use a special machine to send this energy into the atoms and then listen and look very carefully at how the atoms vibrate in response.
This is called nuclear quadrupole resonance because the atom's vibrations are affected by the way their charge is shaped, which causes the vibrations to have a certain pattern or shape.
Nuclear quadrupole resonance is used in all sorts of different fields, from medical research to chemistry and physics, to help us better understand the world around us.