Define Isotope with an example.
Isotopes are variants of a chemical element that share the same number of protons but differ in their number of neutrons, resulting in varying atomic masses. These subtle differences in atomic composition give rise to isotopes with distinct physical and chemical properties. Isotopes can be stable or unstable (radioactive), and they play a crucial role in fields like nuclear energy, medicine, and scientific research. Here are some examples :
Carbon has three isotopes: carbon-12, carbon-13, and carbon-14. All three isotopes have six protons in their nuclei, but differ in the number of neutrons. Carbon-12 has six neutrons, carbon-13 has seven neutrons, and carbon-14 has eight neutrons. These isotopes have slightly different atomic masses, but they retain the same chemical properties, allowing them to participate in similar chemical reactions.
Isotopes of Hydrogen are Protium (Z=1,A=1), Deutrium (Z=1, A=2), Tritium (Z=1, A=3).
| Isotopes of Hydrogen (Source : TerpConnect) |
Also Read : Define Relative Permittivity.
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