carbon 13

noun

: an isotope of carbon of mass number 13 that constitutes about ¹/₇₀ of natural carbon and is used as a tracer especially in spectroscopy utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance

Examples of carbon 13 in a Sentence

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Measuring the extent to which multiple carbon 13 atoms (a rare, stable form of carbon with an extra neutron) replace carbon 12 (the most common form of carbon) in a particular molecule, for instance, can tell researchers about the temperature when the compound formed. Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 15 June 2023 These isotopes, carbon 13 and oxygen 18, bond to each other more when the temperature is cooler, a handy relationship that geophysicists have been using to study Earth's past climate in the geological record. Veronique Greenwood, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2011

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of carbon 13 was in 1936

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Cite this Entry

“Carbon 13.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carbon%2013. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

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