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Glite Dictionary
atomic number 17

atomic number 17

3.8
A poisonous yellow-green gas used to kill germs and to bleach things
  • noun
  • /əˈtɑːmɪk ˈnʌmbər 17/
  • Specialized
translation icon : número atómico 17
  • The atomic number 17 indicates that chlorine has 17 protons in its nucleus.

Examples

  • Chlorine, with an atomic number 17, is widely used to purify water in swimming pools.

  • As a gas with an atomic number 17, chlorine is both toxic and useful in various chemical processes.

  • Calcium, atomic number 20, constitutes approximately 10 percent of bone, giving bone a photoelectric absorption up to ten times that of tissue.

    Academic text (1995)

Synonyms

chlorine
vsatomic number 17
  • Specialized
48 4.2

A strong-smelling yellow-green gas used to kill germs and to bleach, found in salts like sea water

focuses on chemical class as a nonmetallic halogen and its uses
Cl
vsatomic number 17
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A symbol for the element chlorine used to clean water and bleach clothes

describes the element itself with properties and common applications

Surface Forms

atomic number 17 singular
atomic numbers 17 plural

Morphology

atomic + number + seventeen

The phrase is compositionally built from 'atomic' + 'number' + 'seventeen' so a learner who knows the words can infer it denotes a number related to atoms (i.e. a property or identifier). However, identifying that this specific number corresponds to the element chlorine requires domain-specific knowledge of the periodic table, so the exact referent is not predictable from the constituents alone.

Etymology

Atomic number 17 comes from how people count tiny particles in an atom: the atomic number is the count of small positive particles called protons, and when there are 17, the atom is chlorine. So, atomic number 17 means 'chlorine', the yellow-green gas often used to clean and kill bacteria.