atomic number 78
- noun
- Specialized
:
número atómico 78
- Platinum, also known as atomic number 78, is renowned for its corrosion resistance.
Examples
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The atomic number 78 corresponds to platinum.
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Jewelry made from atomic number 78 is highly valued due to its rarity and beauty.
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Industrial chemists often refer to platinum simply as atomic number 78 in technical contexts.
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Did you know that atomic number 78 is platinum?
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Industrial chemists often refer to atomic number 78 when discussing the properties of platinum.
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Jewelry made from atomic number 78 is prized for its durability and luster.
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Atomic number 78 is the scientific designation for the precious metal platinum, known for its grey-white appearance.
Synonyms
96
4.2
A heavy valuable shiny white metal used in jewelry and science
27
5.4
A symbol that shows something is made of the metal platinum
How Precious
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally means an atomic-number label (the atomic number equal to 78), so a learner who knows 'atomic', 'number' and '78' can understand the structural idea but cannot deduce the specific referent 'platinum' without domain knowledge (the periodic table). Thus the relation is partially transparent — compositionally clear in form but requiring extra factual knowledge to arrive at the MWE's intended meaning.
Etymology
The term atomic number 78 comes from the table of elements: an atomic number counts the small particles inside an atom called 'protons', and platinum's atoms have exactly 78 of them. So scientists sometimes call platinum 'atomic number 78' to name the element by that number.