atomic

Everyday

1. Atomic means to do with atoms, the tiny particles everything is made of. tree →
2. Atomic means to do with nuclear energy or nuclear weapons, as in an atomic bomb. tree →
3. An atomic clock is a super-accurate clock using atoms. tree →

In the lessons

In science, the atomic number tells how many protons an element has; the periodic table is ordered by it. In history, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War Two. Atomic power stations make electricity.

Examples

• Hydrogen has the atomic number 1. tree →
• The atomic bomb destroyed a whole city. tree →
• An atomic clock loses less than a second in millions of years. tree →
• Everything has an atomic structure. tree →
• We studied atomic energy in science. tree →
• Carbon's atomic number is 6. tree →

Note

Noun: atom. «Atomic» and «nuclear» often mean the same in everyday talk.