Meaning & use
isoelectronic
Last updated
Describing two or more atoms, molecules, or ions that have the same number of valence electrons and a similar electronic structure.
See it in a sentence
Carbon monoxide and nitrogen gas are isoelectronic, which explains some of their similar properties.
Chemists compare isoelectronic species to predict how their bonding will behave.
A note on using this word
A term from chemistry used to explain why chemically different species can behave similarly; not to be confused with 'isotopic,' which refers to atoms of the same element with different neutron counts.
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