carbon 13
noun
: an isotope of carbon of mass number 13 that constitutes about 1/70 of natural carbon and is used as a tracer especially in spectroscopy utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance
Examples of carbon 13 in a Sentence
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Recent separate findings indicate that plant leaves receiving more light have a higher density of veins, as well as a higher ratio of a naturally occurring isotope called carbon 13.
—
Rachel Nuwer,
Scientific American,
1 Apr. 2021
These isotopes, carbon 13 and oxygen 18, bond to each other more when the temperature is cooler, a handy relationship that geophysicists have been using to study Earth's past climate in the geological record.
—
Veronique Greenwood,
Discover Magazine,
24 June 2011
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Rachel Nuwer,
Scientific American,
1 Apr. 2021
These isotopes, carbon 13 and oxygen 18, bond to each other more when the temperature is cooler, a handy relationship that geophysicists have been using to study Earth's past climate in the geological record.
—
Veronique Greenwood,
Discover Magazine,
24 June 2011
Cite this Entry
“Carbon 13.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carbon%2013. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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