isotope

American  

[ahy-suh-tohp] / ˈaɪ səˌtoʊp /

noun

Chemistry.

1. any of two or more forms of a chemical element, having the same number of protons in the nucleus, or the same atomic number, but having different numbers of neutrons in the nucleus, or different atomic weights. There are 275 isotopes of the 81 stable elements, in addition to over 800 radioactive isotopes, and every element has known isotopic forms. Isotopes of a single element possess almost identical properties.

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isotope British  

/ ˌaɪsəˈtɒpɪk, ˈaɪsəˌtəʊp, aɪˈsɒtəpɪ /

noun

1. one of two or more atoms with the same atomic number that contain different numbers of neutrons

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isotope Scientific  

/ ī′sə-tōp′ /

1. 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.

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isotope Cultural  

1. In physics, different forms of the same element, with nuclei that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. Isotopes are distinguished from each other by giving the combined number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. For example, uranium 235 is the isotope of uranium that has 235 protons and neutrons in its nucleus rather than the more commonly occurring 238. All elements have isotopes.

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Other Word Forms

• isotopic adjective
• isotopically adverb
• isotopy noun

Etymology

Origin of isotope

First recorded in 1910–15; iso- + -tope, from Greek tópos “place”; Utopia ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does isotope compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• isotope vs. isomer

Example Sentences

During a massive impact, temperatures soar, allowing potassium to vaporize and its isotopes to separate.

From Science Daily

These included body size, patterns of tooth wear, chemical clues such as isotope levels preserved in fossil remains, and in rare cases fossilized stomach contents that revealed an animal's last meal.

From Science Daily

They analyzed lithium isotopes in Ediacara fossils collected from Newfoundland and northwest Canada, studying specimens preserved in both sandy and muddy sediments.

From Science Daily

"Every person alive today carries radioactive isotopes from atmospheric testing in their bones," report co-author and University of South Carolina anthropology professor Magdalena Stawkowski told AFP.

From Barron's

Literally the answer must be no: Any stories they tell are scientific interpretations of minerals, fossils, isotopes and other features, whether from a geology laboratory or rock outcrop.

From The Wall Street Journal