exclusion principle

noun

, Physics.

1. the principle that in any system described by quantum mechanics no two identical particles having spin equal to half an odd integer can be in the same quantum state: first postulated for the electrons in atoms.

exclusion principle

noun

1. See Pauli exclusion principle

exclusion principle

/ ĭk-sklo̅o̅′zhən /

1. See Pauli exclusion principle

Word History and Origins

Origin of exclusion principle¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Understanding the origin of Pauli’s exclusion principle would unlock explanations for all of these deep facts of quotidian life.

From Scientific American

Pauli’s exclusion principle was merely a special case of this spin-statistics theorem, as it came to be known.

From Scientific American

In the same paper where he had suggested his new two-valued number, Pauli had also suggested an “exclusion principle,” the notion that no two electrons could occupy the exact same state.

From Scientific American

Fermions must obey the Pauli exclusion principle, which means two fermions cannot share the same quantum state.

From Scientific American

A quantum-mechanical law called the Pauli exclusion principle keeps matter from squishing itself into a point.

From Literature