Periodical, Periodic adj. 1.Of or pertaining to a period or periods, or to division by periods. "The periodical times of all the satellites."
2.Performed in a period, or regular revolution; proceeding in a series of successive circuits; as, the periodical motion of the planets round the sun.
3.Happening, by revolution, at a stated time; returning regularly, after a certain period of time. "The periodic return of a plant's flowering." "To influence opinion through the periodical press."
4.Acting, happening, or appearing, at fixed or somewhat variable intervals; recurring; as, periodical epidemics
5.(Rhet.) Of or pertaining to a period; constituting a complete sentence.
Periodic comet (Astron.), a comet that moves about the sun in an elliptic orbit; a comet that has been seen at two of its approaches to the sun.
Periodic function (Math.), a function whose values recur at fixed intervals as the variable uniformly increases. The trigonomertic functions, as sin(x), tan(x), etc., are periodic functions. Exponential functions are also periodic, having an imaginary period, and the elliptic functions have not only a real but an imaginary period, and are hence called doubly periodic.
Periodic law (Chem.), the generalization that the properties of the chemical elements are periodic functions of their atomic weights. "In other words, if the elements are grouped in the order of their atomic weights, it will be found that nearly the same properties recur periodically throughout the entire series." The following tabular arrangement of the atomic weights shows the regular recurrence of groups (under I., II., III., IV., etc.), each consisting of members of the same natural family. The gaps in the table indicate the probable existence of unknown elements.
Periodic table, Periodic table of the elements (Chem.), A tabular arrangement of the chemical elements, illustrating the periodic law, described above.
Periodic star (Astron.), a variable star whose changes of brightness recur at fixed periods.
Periodic time of a heavenly body (Astron.), the time of a complete revolution of the body about the sun, or of a satellite about its primary.
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