barium 140
Very Low (Scientific/Technical)Technical/Scientific
Definition
Meaning
An unstable, radioactive isotope of the chemical element barium, with a half-life of about 12.8 days.
A fission product in nuclear reactors and a tracer in scientific research, notably used in radioisotope studies.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Always refers to the specific radioactive isotope. The number 140 is a mass number, distinguishing it from stable barium isotopes.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
None; identical scientific terminology.
Connotations
Exclusively scientific/technical with nuclear or analytical chemistry context.
Frequency
Exclusively used in nuclear physics, chemistry, and related scientific fields in both regions.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[barium-140] + verb (decays, is produced, is used)verb (detect, isolate, study) + [barium-140]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Academic
Used in research papers on nuclear fission, radiochemistry, and environmental tracing.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
Core term in nuclear physics, reactor operation, waste management, and analytical radiochemistry.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- The barium-140 sample was carefully shielded.
American English
- The barium-140 tracer revealed the flow path.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Barium-140 is a radioactive material.
- Scientists can trace pollution by using barium-140 as a marker.
- The measured concentration of barium-140 in the coolant provided precise data on fuel rod integrity.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: Barium is element 56. Barium-140 is its heavier, unstable version that decays in about two weeks (12.8 days).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate '140' as a separate word; it's part of the isotope name: 'барий-140'.
Common Mistakes
- Omitting the hyphen: 'barium 140' is acceptable, but 'barium-140' is the standard form in technical writing.
- Confusing it with stable, non-radioactive barium used in medical imaging.
Practice
Quiz
In which field is the term 'barium-140' primarily used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Like all radioactive isotopes, it must be handled with appropriate safety protocols in a controlled environment. It emits beta and gamma radiation.
It is primarily produced as a fission product in nuclear reactors when heavier atoms like uranium-235 split.
It decays via beta decay to lanthanum-140, which is also radioactive.
No. Medical imaging uses a non-radioactive, stable compound of barium (usually barium sulfate). Barium-140 is a radioactive isotope used for entirely different purposes.