A scientific instrument that measures the gradient or rate of change of a physical property like gravity, magnetism, or temperature.
From 'gradient' plus Greek 'metron' (measure). This technical term emerged in 20th-century physics to describe instruments that precisely measure how properties change across space.
Gradiometers can detect buried archaeological artifacts or submarines by measuring tiny changes in Earth's magnetic or gravitational field—they're sensitive enough to spot a shift that's only a billionth of what you'd feel!
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