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corruption • counterpoise 151
corruption The altering of data or a code as a result
of a program error or machine fault.
COS Abbreviation of COMPLEMENTARY-SYMME-
TRY CIRCUIT.
cosecant Abbreviation, csc. A trigonometric function;
csc q = c/a, where c is the hypotenuse of a
right triangle and a is the side opposite q. The
cosecant is the reciprocal of sine: csc q = 1/sin q.
cosecant-squared antenna A radar antenna that
radiates a COSECANT-SQUARED BEAM.
cosecant-squared beam A radar beam whose intensity
varies directly with the square of the cosecant
of the angle of elevation.
cosech Abbreviation of HYPERBOLIC COSECANT.
Also abbreviated as csch.
cosh Abbreviation of HYPERBOLIC COSINE.
cosine Abbreviation, cos. A trigonometric function;
cos q = b/c, where b is the side adjacent to q and
c is the hypotenuse of the right triangle.
cosine law The brightness in any direction from a
perfectly diffusing surface is proportional to the
cosine of the angle between the direction vector
and a vector perpendicular to the surface.
cosine wave A periodic wave that follows the cosine
of the phase angle. It has a shape identical
with a SINE WAVE, but differs by 90 degrees of
phase.
cosine yoke A magnetic-deflection yoke that has
nonuniform windings for improved focus at the
edges of a television picture. Also called anastigmatic
yoke and full-focus yoke.
cosmic noise Radio noise produced by signals
from extraterrestrial space.
cosmic rays Extremely penetrating rays consisting
of streams of atomic nuclei entering the earth’s
atmosphere from outer space.
COS/MOS IC An integrated circuit (IC), such as an
operational amplifier, utilizing metal-oxide-semiconductor
(MOS) field-effect transistors in a complementary-symmetry
(COS) arrangement.
cost analysis In a commercial or industrial organization,
ascertaining the expense associated with
a service, process, or job.
cot Abbreviation of COTANGENT.
cotangent Abbreviation, cot. A trigonometric function;
cot q = b/a, where a is the side adjacent to q
and b is the side opposite q (in a right triangle).
Cotangent is the reciprocal of tangent: cot q =
1/tan q.
coth Abbreviation of HYPERBOLIC COTANGENT.
Cotton-Mouton effect See KERR MAGNETO-
OPTICAL EFFECT.
Cottrell process Dust precipitated by high voltage.
Dust in the air is made to flow through a
grounded metal chamber that contains a wire
maintained at high voltage. The dust particles become
charged and adhere to the chamber walls,
from which they are later collected.
coul-cell A coulometer of the electrolytic-cell type.
coulomb (Charles Augustin Coulomb, 1736–
1806). Abbreviation, C. The unit of electrical
charge quantity, equal to the charge contained in
6.24 × 10 18 electrons. A current of one ampere
(1 A) represents 1 coulomb per second (C/s).
Coulomb’s law The force between two electrically
charged objects is directly proportional to the
product of the charge quantities in coulombs,
and inversely proportional to the square of the
distance between the charge centers. This force is
an attraction for opposite charges, and a repulsion
for similar charges.
coulometer An instrument that measures electrical
charge quantity in coulombs. A typical version
keeps a cumulative count of coulombs (ampereseconds)
by integrating current, with respect to
time. Also called coulombmeter.
Coulter counter See CELL COUNTER.
count 1. The number of pulses tallied by a counting
system in a given period of time. 2. A single
response by a radioactivity counter. 3. A record of
the number of times an instruction or subroutine
in a computer program is executed (by increasing
the value of a variable by one, as stated in a FOR-
NEXT loop, for example).
countdown A decreasing count of time units remaining
before an event or operation occurs
showing time elapsed and time remaining.
counter 1. A circuit, such as a cascade of flipflops,
that tracks the number of pulses applied to
it and usually displays the total number of
pulses. 2. A mechanism, such as an electromechanical
indicator, that tracks the number of impulses
applied to it and displays the total. 3. An
electronic switching circuit, such as a flip-flop or
stepping circuit, that responds to sequential input
pulses applied to it, giving one output pulse
after receiving a certain number of input pulses.
counter- Prefix meaning “opposite to” or “contrary
to.” Examples: counter EMF, counterclockwise.
counterclockwise Abbreviation, ccw. Pertaining to
rotational motion in a sense opposite that of a
typical analog clock. Movement is to the left at the
top of the rotational circle, and to the right at the
bottom of the circle. Compare CLOCKWISE.
counterclockwise-polarized wave An elliptically
polarized electromagnetic wave whose electricintensity
vector rotates counterclockwise as observed
from the point of propagation. Compare
CLOCKWISE-POLARIZED WAVE.
counter efficiency The sensitivity of a radiation
counter or scintillation counter to incident X-rays
or gamma rays.
counterelectromotive cell A cell used to counteract
a direct-current voltage.
counter EMF See BACK VOLTAGE and KICK-
BACK.
counter-meter A radioactivity instrument, such as
a Geiger counter, that indicates the number of radioactive
particles per unit time.
counterpoise A means of obtaining a radiofrequency
(RF) ground by using a grid of wires or
tubing in a plane parallel to the earth’s surface or