i·so·tope (  s -t p )n. One of two or more atoms having the same atomic number but different mass numbers. [iso- + Greek topos, place (so called because the isotopes of a chemical element occupy the same position in the periodic table of elements).] i so·topic (-t p k) adj.i so·topi·cal·ly adv. |
isotope [ˈaɪsəˌtəʊp]
n
(Chemistry) one of two or more atoms with the same atomic number that contain different numbers of neutrons
[from iso- + Greek topos place]
isotopic [ˌaɪsəˈtɒpɪk] adj
isotopically adv
isotopy [aɪˈsɒtəpɪ] n
| isotope (s-tp) One of two or more atoms that have the same atomic number (the same number of protons) but a different number of neutrons. Carbon 12, the most common form of carbon, has six protons and six neutrons, whereas carbon 14 has six protons and eight neutrons. Isotopes of a given element typically behave alike chemically. With the exception of hydrogen, elements found on Earth generally have the same number of protons and neutrons; heavier and lighter isotopes (with more or fewer neutrons) are often unstable and undergo radioactive decay. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | isotope - one of two or more atoms with the same atomic number but with different numbers of neutrons atom - (physics and chemistry) the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element radioisotope - a radioactive isotope of an element; produced either naturally or artificially deuterium, heavy hydrogen - an isotope of hydrogen which has one neutron (as opposed to zero neutrons in hydrogen) |
Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content.
| ?Page tools | ||
|---|---|---|
|