Term: isotope effect https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.I03327 Definition: The effect on the rate or equilibrium constant of two reactions that differ only in the isotopic composition of one or more of their otherwise chemically identical components is referred to as a kinetic isotope effect or a thermodynamic (or equilibrium) isotope effect, respectively. Related Terms: 1) equilibrium constant (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.E02177). 2) kinetic isotope effect (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.K03405). 3) thermodynamic (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.T06319). Source: PAC, 1994, 66, 1077. 'Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1994)' on page 1130 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199466051077) Citation: 'isotope effect' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.I03327 License: The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms. Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.