Isotope …, "m" are the atomic masses of each individual isotope, and "x", …, "x" are the relative abundances of these isotopes. Several applications exist that capitalize on properties of the various isotopes of a given element. Isotope separation is a significant technological challenge, particularly with heavy elements such as uranium or plutonium. Lighter elements such as lithium, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen are commonly separated by gas diffusion of their compounds such as CO and NO. The separation of hydrogen and deuterium is unusual because it is based on chemical rather than physical properties, for example in the Girdler sulfide process.
Atomic mass unit of carbon-12 in 0.012 kg of carbon-12. This can be expressed mathematically as Molecular masses of proteins are often expressed in kilodaltons (kDa or kD). For example, a molecule of a protein with molar mass has a mass of 64 kDa. In research and commerce, the degree of polymerization of synthetic polymers is conventionally expressed in daltons. The US Supreme Court based a major precedent of appellate law on a disputed case of counting daltons for a molecular distribution. Atomic mass unit The unified atomic mass unit or dalton (symbol: u, or Da) is a standard unit of mass that