18WuD2x

746 WAZ • weighted noise level
WAZ Amateur radio abbreviation of Worked All
Zones, an award given to operators who have carried
on verified two-way communication with stations
in all communications zones of the world.
WB Abbreviation of weather bureau.
W B Abbreviation of base-region width (in a transistor).
Wb Symbol for WEBER.
Wb/m 2 Abbreviation of Webers per square meter
(see TESLA).
W C Abbreviation of collector-region width (in a transistor).
WCEMA Abbreviation of West Coast Electronic
Manufacturers’ Association.
W/cm 2 Abbreviation of watts per square centimeter.
WE Abbreviation of write enable.
W E Abbreviation of emitter-region width (in a transistor).
weak battery 1. A battery that has been depleted
to the point that its output (no-load or full-load) is
too low to be useful. 2. A battery specially designed
for low-voltage output.
weak color Lack of color vividness or poor contrast
between colors in a color-television picture. The
condition is often caused by some malfunction in
the chroma demodulator(s).
weak contrast In a television picture, poor differentiation
of adjacent tonal areas.
weak coupling See LOOSE COUPLING.
weak current An extremely small electric current.
The term is relative; generally, it refers to currents
of a few microamperes or less.
weak magnet 1. A magnet whose power has deteriorated
considerably below a prescribed level.
2. A body that normally is only slightly magnetic.
weak signal A signal whose amplitude is very low
compared with that of signals considered satisfactory
in a given application. Although the term
is relative, it usually implies a signal that is noncompetitive
with other signals in a given environment.
weak-signal detector A detector in which, at low
input-signal amplitudes (weak-signal levels),
the direct-current output is proportional to the
square of the root-mean-square (rms) value of the
input-signal voltage.
wearout The complete deterioration of a component
or system (i.e., beyond restoration to useful
service).
wearout failure Failure because of wearout, which
can be predicted on the basis of known lifetime
and the deterioration characteristics of components
and equipment.
wearout point The instant of wearout, in terms of
power output, watt-hour capacity, or some other
specification.
weather antenna An antenna dimensioned for
reception exclusively in the 162.4- to 162.55-
MHz weather band. See WEATHER TRANSMIS-
SION.
weathering Deterioration of electronic equipment
as a result of exposure to outdoor heat, cold,
moisture, wind, and similar conditions.
weather-protected machine A machine (usually a
generator or motor) whose vent holes are designed
to prevent entry of dust, water, and debris.
weather protection The coating, sealing, or treating
of electronic equipment for protection against
corrosion, humidity, and temperature changes in
outdoor use.
weather satellite A satellite designed to photograph
weather systems in infrared and/or visible
light, and relay the pictures to earth via facsimile
or television.
weather sonde See RADIOSONDE.
weather transmission The radio transmission of
meteorological reports. Sometimes the transmissions
are combined with guidance transmissions,
from which they can be separated by means of a
filter in the receiver.
weber Abbreviation, Wb. The SI unit of magnetic
flux and of the magnetic flux quantum; 1 Wb =
10 8 maxwells = 1.257 × 10 –7 unit pole.
Weber-Fechner law The law expressing the relationship
between a stimulus and the physiological
reaction it produces: The sensation is
proportional to the logarithm of the stimulus.
weber per square meter Symbol, Wb/m 2 . See
TESLA.
weber turn A unit of magnetic flux linkage equal to
10 8 maxwell turns.
wedge 1. In a waveguide, a termination consisting
of a tapered block or plate of carbon (or other dissipative
material). 2. In a television test pattern,
convergent, equally spaced lines for checking resolution.
wedge bonding In integrated-circuit fabrication, a
method of bonding in which a thermocompression
bond (see COLD-COMPRESSION WELDING)
is obtained through pressure from a wedgeshaped
tool.
Wehnelt cathode An oxide-coated cathode in an
electron tube.
Wehnelt cylinder In a cathode-ray tube, the
cathode-enclosing cylinder that concentrates the
electrons emitted by the cathode.
weight 1. The amount of gravitational pull on a
body or particle. 2. Extra significance given to a
term or value. See, for example, WEIGHTED
TERM. 3. The dot-to-space ratio in a Morse-code
signal.
weight-density Symbol, d. Unit, kg/m 3 . The
weight per unit volume of a liquid, such as an
electrolyte or insulating oil; also called density.
weighted distortion factor In the measurement of
harmonic distortion, a factor whose use allows
the harmonics in the complex waveform to be
weighted in proportion to their relationship.
weighted noise level Unit, dBm. The noise level
weighted with respect to the 70-dB equalloudness
contour of hearing.