CPB Budapest 2017

Nomenclature of Nuclei

It was Truman P. Kohman in 1947, first proposed that individual atomic species should be called nuclides . In this way a nuclide is completely defined by the two numbers, atomic number Z and neutron number N, whereas an element or chemical element is characterised by its atomic number Z. Kohman’s set of definitions have been generally adopted and are summarised in following Table:

Nomenclature of nuclei according to Kohman

Term

Description

Nuclides Isotopes Isotones

Z, A

Common Z

common N = A - Z

Isobars

common A

Isodiapheres

common (N – Z) common Z and A

Isomers