Word
dalton
Phoneticsdal·ton
/ˈdɔɫtən/
Definition
n. a tiny unit of weight used to measure atoms and molecules.
n. a unit of mass used to express atomic and molecular weights, numerically equivalent to the unified atomic mass unit.
Examples
“The atomic mass of oxygen is about 16 daltons.”
“Scientists measure the size of large proteins in daltons to understand their structure.”
Examples
simple
“The atomic mass of oxygen is about 16 daltons.”
contextual
“Scientists measure the size of large proteins in daltons to understand their structure.”
Usage
Often abbreviated as 'Da' and used with metric prefixes like kilodalton (kDa).
Teaching tip
This is a highly specialised term; outside of biochemistry or physics, students will rarely encounter it.
Etymology
From Old English dæl (“valley”) + tun (“settlement”). Equivalent to dale + town.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.