diatomic

adjective

di·atom·ic ˌdī-ə-ˈtä-mik

: consisting of two atoms : having two atoms in the molecule

Examples of diatomic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web For example, think of a pendulum, which is a mass swinging from a string, or the vibrations of a diatomic molecule (a molecule with two atoms, like nitrogen), or even the change in electric current in something like a circuit inside a radio that makes an oscillation. —

Rhett Allain, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2023 The comet has a bright green glow around its nucleus, due to the effect of sunlight on its molecules, especially diatomic carbon and cyanogen. —

Robert Lea, Popular Mechanics, 8 Feb. 2023 The comet’s green color is caused by diatomic carbon (C2), but more detail can also be worked out. —

Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2023 Recently, scientists reported evidence of water vapor, adding to the list that includes cyanide, hydroxide, diatomic carbon and atomic oxygen. —

Mara Johnson-Groh, Discover Magazine, 2 Dec. 2019 Pairs of oxygen atoms rapidly combine to form the stable diatomic oxygen, which exits with carbon monoxide. —

Max G. Levy, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 July 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'diatomic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.