Quadrant, Legal.
The accepted length of the quadrant of the earth, 9.978E8 instead of 1E9
centimeters; or to 9,978 kilometers instead of 10,000 kilometers.
Quadrature.
Waves or periodic motions the angle of lag of one of which, with
reference to one in advance of it, is 90°, are said to be in quadrature
with each other.
[Transcriber's note: If the voltage and current of a power line are in
quadrature, the power factor is zero (cos(90°) = 0) and no real power
is delivered to the load.]
Qualitative.
Involving the determination only of the presence or absence of a
substance or condition, without regard to quantity. Thus a compass held
near a wire might determine qualitatively whether a current was passing
through the wire, but would not be sufficient to determine its quantity.
(See Quantitative.)
Quality of Sound.
The distinguishing characteristic of a sound other than its pitch; the
timbre.
It is due to the presence with the main or fundamental sound of other
minor sounds called overtones, the fundamental note prevailing and the
other ones being superimposed upon it. The human voice is very rich in
overtones; the telephone reproduces these, thus giving the personal
peculiarities of every voice.
Synonym--Timbre.
Quantitative.
Involving the determination of quantities. Thus a simple test would
indicate that a current was passing through a wire. This would be a
qualitative test. If by proper apparatus the exact intensity of the
current was determined, it would be a quantitative determination. (See
Qualitative.)
Quantity.
This term is used to express arrangements of electrical connections for
giving the largest quantity of current, as a quantity armature, meaning
one wound for low resistance.
A battery is connected in quantity when the cells are all in parallel.
It is the arrangement giving the largest current through a very small
external resistance.
The term is now virtually obsolete (Daniell); "in surface," "in
parallel," or "in multiple arc" is used.
Quantity, Electric.
Electricity may be measured as if it were a compressible gas, by
determining the potential it produces when stored in a defined
recipient. In this way the conception of a species of quantity is
reached. It is also measured as the quantity of current passed by a
conductor.
Thus a body whose surface is more or less highly charged with
electricity, is said to hold a greater or less quantity of electricity.
It may be defined in electrostatic or electro-magnetic terms. (See
Quantity, Electrostatic--Quantity, Electro-magnetic.)