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• x-ray diffraction
  x-ray diffraction

  noun

  diffraction of x-rays by the regularly spaced atoms of a crystal, useful for determining the arrangement of the atoms.
• X-ray diffraction
  X-ray diffraction

  noun

  the scattering of X-rays on contact with matter, resulting in changes in radiation intensity, which is used for studying atomic structure

x-ray diffraction

American  

noun

Physics.

1. diffraction of x-rays by the regularly spaced atoms of a crystal, useful for determining the arrangement of the atoms.

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X-ray diffraction British  

noun

1. the scattering of X-rays on contact with matter, resulting in changes in radiation intensity, which is used for studying atomic structure

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x-ray diffraction Scientific  

1. The scattering of x-rays by crystal atoms, producing a diffraction pattern that yields information about the structure of the crystal. X-ray diffraction is used in x-ray crystallography.

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Etymology

Origin of x-ray diffraction

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

x-ray diffraction X-ray diffraction

To perform the study, the team used x-ray diffraction to characterize the arrangement of atoms in the nanomaterial.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2023

Using x-ray diffraction data produced by Rosalind Franklin, they were the first to discern the structure of DNA that is so crucial to life.

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

Unfortunately, they did not cite any published x-ray diffraction analyses, clay-mineral crystallinity indices, or more extensive documentation to support their claims.

From Science Magazine ● Feb. 21, 2013

In this way, they can look at the molecular properties and x-ray diffraction patterns of the silk as it is produced.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 12, 2013

The x-ray diffraction instrument will aim a beam of x-rays at samples to reveal their structure and composition, making possible definitive identifications of specific minerals.

From Scientific American ● Nov. 24, 2011

Using X-ray diffraction, the researchers investigated the crystal structure.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 25, 2024

The researchers utilized temperature-dependent synchrotron single-crystal X-ray diffraction to demonstrate the origami-like folding behavior of the 2D MOF in response to temperature changes.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 19, 2023

Firing X-rays at the powder and measuring them as they bounced off — a process known as X-ray diffraction — allowed the team to work out its structure.

From Scientific American ● Feb. 7, 2023

This phenomenon of X-ray diffraction is the basis for very powerful techniques enabling the determination of molecular structure.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

He had been collecting X-ray diffraction data from hemoglobin crystals for over ten years and was just beginning to get somewhere.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson