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core science definition
- The central or innermost portion of the Earth, lying below the mantle and probably consisting of iron and nickel. It is divided into a liquid outer core, which begins at a depth of 2,898 km (1,800 mi), and a solid inner core, which begins at a depth of 4,983 km (3,090 mi).
- A piece of magnetizable material, such as a rod of soft iron, that is placed inside an electrical coil or transformer to intensify and provide a path for the magnetic field produced by the current running through the wire windings.
- The central part of a nuclear reactor where atomic fission occurs. The core contains the fuel, the coolant, and the moderator.
- A long, cylindrical sample of soil, rock, or ice collected with a drill to study the strata of material that are not visible from the surface.
- A stone from which one or more flakes have been removed, serving as a tool in itself or as a source of flakes from which other tools could be fashioned. Stones used as cores include flint, chert, and obsidian. See more at core tool.
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