noun
- Plural of astatine; atoms or molecules of the chemical element astatine (symbol At, atomic number 85), a rare radioactive halogen.
Usage: chemistry; technical
Examples
- Astatines are among the rarest elements found in nature.
- The laboratory synthesized astatines for the nuclear physics experiment.
- Astatines belong to the halogen group on the periodic table.
- Scientists study astatines because of their radioactive properties.
- Astatines have extremely short half-lives, making them difficult to isolate.