Nuclide

Last revised by Daniel J Bell on 21 Feb 2024

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

Vajuhudeen Z, Bell D, Knipe H, et al. Nuclide. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 19 Apr 2024) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-79814

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-79814

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/79814

rID:

79814

Article created:

5 Jul 2020, Zemar Vajuhudeen

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created Zemar Vajuhudeen had no recorded disclosures.

View Zemar Vajuhudeen's current disclosures

Last revised:

21 Feb 2024, Daniel J Bell ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Daniel J Bell had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.

View Daniel J Bell's current disclosures

Revisions:

9 times, by 6 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Sections:

Imaging Technology

Synonyms:

Radionuclide
Nuclides
Radionuclides

A nuclide is a nuclear-centric term describing an atomic species by its nuclear composition and nuclear energy state.

A nuclide has a specific number of protons and neutrons and will additionally have a specific energy state of its nucleus.

Radionuclides are unstable nuclides that undergo radioactive decay.

Types of nuclides are demonstrated below:

isotopes: same atomic number (Z)
isotones: same neutron number (N)
isobars: same mass number (A)
isomers: same atomic (Z) and mass (A) numbers, different energy states

History and etymology

Truman Kohman, a 20^th century American chemist, proposed the use of the term nuclide in 1947 (and its derivative radionuclide) as a more accurate substitute for the terms isotope and radioisotope. This recommendation was not widely adopted in scientific literature until the 1960s.