1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Allotropy

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ALLOTROPY (Gr. ἄλλος, other, and τρόπος, manner), a name applied by Berzelius to the property possessed by certain substances of existing in different modifications. Custom has to some extent restricted its use to inorganic chemistry; the corresponding property of organic compounds being generally termed isomerism (q.v.). Conspicuous examples are afforded by oxygen, carbon, boron, silicon, phosphorus, mercuric oxide and iodide.