Vocabulary Builder — Essay & Answer Writing
Cavitation
noun
/ kav-ih-TAY-shun /
Hard
Meaning
The formation and collapse of vapour bubbles in a liquid due to rapid pressure changes, causing noise, vibration, and structural damage to surfaces
Origin / Etymology
Latin cavitas (hollow), from cavus (cave, hollow)
Synonyms
Bubble collapse
Vapour implosion
Antonyms
Laminar flow
Smooth operation
Example Sentence
"The Large Cavitation Tunnel at NSTL, Visakhapatnam will enable India to design quieter submarine propellers by studying cavitation patterns, the primary source of acoustic signature that enemy sonar uses to detect submarines."
🎯 UPSC Usage
Used in defence/science contexts. Cavitation is critical to submarine stealth, noisy propellers create detectable acoustic signatures. NSTL's cavitation tunnel enables indigenous propeller design without foreign testing. Also relevant in hydropower (turbine damage) and biomedical engineering.
Relevant Subjects
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