isotope
UK[ˈaɪ.sə.təʊp]US[ˈaɪ.sə.toʊp]
n
any of two or more forms of the same chemical element that have equal numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei, and hence differ in relative atomic mass but not in chemical properties.
Morpheme Breakdown
iso
tope
iso
equal
tope
place
Etymology
the term 'isotope' was coined in 1913 by the british chemist frederick soddy. it is a modern scientific compound formed directly from ancient greek elements: 'iso-' meaning 'equal' and '-tope' from 'topos' meaning 'place'. the name was chosen because isotopes of a single element occupy the same position (place) in the periodic table, despite having different atomic weights. this elegantly captures the core scientific concept—different physical forms of an element that are chemically identical and hold an equal place in the classification of matter.
Analysis
Structure: iso (equal) + tope (place)
iso- (from greek 'ísos', meaning equal, same); -tope (from greek 'tópos', meaning place).
Examples
carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope used in dating ancient artifacts.
the patient was injected with a stable isotope tracer for the medical scan.
scientists separated the lighter isotope from the heavier one using a centrifuge.