mean free path
noun
: the average distance traversed between collisions by particles (such as molecules of a gas or free electrons in metal) in a system of agitated particles
Examples of mean free path in a Sentence
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What if the distance between cathode and anode were less than the average distance an electron travels before hitting a gas molecule, a distance known as the mean free path?
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Jin-Woo Han, IEEE Spectrum, 23 June 2014
Use helium instead of air and the mean free path goes up to about 1 micrometer.
—Jin-Woo Han, IEEE Spectrum, 23 June 2014
For example, the mean free path of electrons in air under normal atmospheric pressure is about 200 nanometers, which on the scale of today’s transistors is pretty large.
—Jin-Woo Han, IEEE Spectrum, 23 June 2014
Water molecules are floating all around in the air, and their mean free path is around 100 nm.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 24 May 2023
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Jin-Woo Han, IEEE Spectrum, 23 June 2014
Use helium instead of air and the mean free path goes up to about 1 micrometer.
—Jin-Woo Han, IEEE Spectrum, 23 June 2014
For example, the mean free path of electrons in air under normal atmospheric pressure is about 200 nanometers, which on the scale of today’s transistors is pretty large.
—Jin-Woo Han, IEEE Spectrum, 23 June 2014
Water molecules are floating all around in the air, and their mean free path is around 100 nm.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 24 May 2023
Cite this Entry
“Mean free path.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mean%20free%20path. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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