Transmutation (Noun)
Meaning 1
An act that changes the form or character or substance of something.
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
A qualitative change.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural events.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Meaning 3
(physics) the change of one chemical element into another (as by nuclear decay or radioactive bombardment); "the transmutation of base metals into gold proved to be impossible".
Classification
Nouns denoting natural events.
Examples
- The transmutation of one element into another was once considered a hallmark of alchemy, but is now understood to occur naturally through certain nuclear reactions.
- In nuclear physics, transmutation is the process by which an atomic nucleus is altered, resulting in a different element.
- The transmutation of uranium into lead occurs gradually over time as the uranium decays radioactively.
- Despite centuries of effort, the transmutation of base metals into gold remains an impossibility according to modern chemistry.
- Scientists have achieved the transmutation of certain elements in high-energy particle colliders, creating new and exotic forms of matter.