Neutral
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Neutral means balanced between two or more opposites. The term has many uses in science and otherwise.
- In physics,
- a neutral particle or object has zero electric charge. An atom with a positive or negative charge is called an ion.
- an object with the same mean density as the surrounding fluid medium has neutral buoyancy and will neither rise nor fall.
- a mechanical equilibrium that is neither stable nor unstable is said to be neutral. An arbitrarily small displacement will result in no additional force.
- In chemistry, a neutral solution is neither acidic nor basic and has a pH of 7.
- In politics, a neutral country takes no side in a conflict between other parties. In return, it hopes to avoid being attacked by either of them.
- Neutral alignment in role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons.
- In semiotics the neutral level is the "trace" left behind, the physical or material creation of esthesic and poietic, productive or creative and receptive or perceptive, processes.
- In mains wiring, neutral has two subtly different meanings. The first meaning refers to a current-carrying core that is tied to a grounding point. The second refers to a core that acts as a common for several phase cores.
- In language study, neutral is an adjective used for the neuter noun gender, as well as for the gender-neutral language.
- In economics, the question of neutrality of money is whether money supply affects the real economy.
Other uses
- The Neutral, a group of Native Americans.