引力场 (yǐn lì chǎng) — gravitational field

Definition

A physics term: the region of space around an object where its gravity acts on other masses. Pairs with 强度 ('strength') to describe how strong the pull is.

noun
gravitational field
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 引力场。
    Dì qiú de yǐn lì chǎng xī yǐn le yuè qiú.
    The Earth's gravitational field attracts the Moon.
  • 引力场。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū hēi dòng zhōu wéi de yǐn lì chǎng.
    Scientists are studying the gravitational field around black holes.
  • 引力场。
    Zhè ge shí yàn cè liáng le tài yáng de yǐn lì chǎng qiáng dù.
    This experiment measured the strength of the Sun's gravitational field.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

引力gravitational force
引yǐnattract力lìforce
偏正Modifier + head
场chǎngfield

引力 (attractive force) and 场 (field) combine to mean a gravitational field.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 弓弓gōngbow
  • 丿丿piěindicatory stroke

引 is made from 弓, a bow, and 丿, a short slant stroke added at the place where the string is pulled, marking the action of drawing or pulling.

Open 引 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

力 is drawn as either an arm bending out from the side of the body or a wooden plough.

Open 力 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 場; 场 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng場chǎng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 場 pairs 土 (earth) with 昜 as a sound part; the simplified 场 is a later abbreviation, so its parts do not have that historical role.

Open 场 →

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