isotope
|i-so-tope|
🇺🇸
/ˈaɪsəˌtoʊp/
🇬🇧
/ˈaɪsətəʊp/
same element, different neutrons
Etymology
'isotope' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'isos' meaning 'equal' and 'topos' meaning 'place'.
'isotope' was coined in the early 20th century by Frederick Soddy, reflecting the concept of elements occupying the same position in the periodic table.
Initially, it referred to elements with the same atomic number but different atomic masses, and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
each of two or more forms of the same element that contain equal numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei, and hence differ in relative atomic mass but not in chemical properties.
Carbon-12 and carbon-14 are isotopes of carbon.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/05/07 01:26