cobalt 60

noun

Chemistry.

1. a radioactive isotope of cobalt having a mass number of 60 and a half-life of 5.2 years, used chiefly in radiotherapy.

cobalt 60

1. A radioactive isotope produced when neutrons bombard atoms of the element cobalt.

Cobalt 60 is a common substance used in radiation therapy for cancer.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cobalt 60¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

To run the experiment she had in mind, Wu needed to reduce the temperature of radioactive cobalt 60 nuclei until the particles almost stopped moving.

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Given all that, replacing cobalt 60 machines does not always go well.

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The cobalt 60 was found several hundred feet from the truck, apparently carried off by the thieves or by curious people in the area.

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After a two-day hunt, a stolen truck containing the lethal radioactive material cobalt 60 was found in the rural Mexican town of Hueypoxtla.

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At the time of the theft, the agency said, the cobalt 60 had been properly shielded from exposure.

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