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From iso-(“equal”) + -tope(“place”), because the different isotopes of a chemical element always occupy the same position in the periodic table of elements. The term was coined by Scottish doctor Margaret Todd in 1909 and first used publicly on February 27, 1913 by English chemist Frederick Soddy.
Technically, isotopes are nuclides having the same atomic number but different mass number. In practice, the term isotope is often used instead of nuclide.