What are isotopes? How are two isotopes of an element different?

Answer 1

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Isotopes: Elements with the same number of protons and electrons, but having a different number of neutrons. This results in different atomic masses, but the same electrical properties because the neutron is neutral.

Isotopes of an element exhibit the same chemical properties, but have different physical characteristics like density, boiling point and freezing point.

There is an informative periodic table of isotopes that gives you specific information about the different isotopes of each element at: http://ie.lbl.gov/education/isotopes.htm.

—You will notice that elements of even atomic number have more isotopes than elements of odd atomic number.—
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Answer 2

An Isotope has the same Atomic Number as the element but a different mass number - this is due to an isotope having more or less neutrons than the original element.

Normally the physical properties are very similar for both the element and the isotope.

Isotopes are formed by radioactive decay - when an atom releases energy (via Gamma Photons) or mass via Alpha (Helium Nucleus) or Beta (Electron, Positron Emission or electron capture)

Answer 3

All substances are made up of atoms.

Each substance is different from another because of the composition of the atoms.

For example, to get Carbon, we have 6 electrons and 6 protons.

To get Oxygen, we have 8 electrons and 8 protons.

This is how each substance in the universe is made.

However, each substance also carry neutrons, which are neutral particles in the atom.

In Oxygen, we have 8 neutrons that lay in the nucleus along with the protons.

Likewise, in Carbon, we have 6 neutrons that lay in the nucleus along with the protons.

In some other material, like Hydrogen, it has a proton and and electron orbiting it, but it also has a cousin which has one proton AND ONE NEUTRON along with one electron orbiting the nucleus. This special Hydrogen atom is call Deuterium. It has all the properties of the Hydrogen but is heavier. It is the isotope of the Hydrogen.

Likewise other substances also have isotopes, eg, Uranium 235 and 237, and Carbon 14.

Answer 4

b is most likely the searched answer, but a is the case too, however it can be ignored in many cases except for Hydrogen (and that's why the isotope of H gets its own chemical symbol D). From Wikipedia: Chemical symbol Deuterium is frequently represented by the chemical symbol D. Since it is an isotope of hydrogen with mass number 2, it is also represented by ²H. IUPAC allows both D and ²H, although ²H is preferred.[4] The reason deuterium has a distinct chemical symbol may be its large mass difference with protium (¹H); deuterium has a mass of 2.014102 u, compared to the mean hydrogen atomic weight of 1.007947 u, and protium's mass of 1.007825 u. The isotope weight ratios within other chemical elements are largely insignificant in this regard, explaining the lack of unique isotope symbols elsewhere.

Answer 5

Isotopes of an element have the same number of protons and electrons but different numbers of neutrons. They react in the same manner (e.g. in bonding and so forth) but have different atomic masses.

For example, "normal" carbon has 6 protons, 6 electrons and 6 neutrons and an atomic mass of 12 (it is therefore known as "Carbon 12"). But there is another type of carbon which has 6 protons, 6 electrons and 8 neutrons. This has an atomic mass of 14 and is known as "Carbon 14". Carbon 12 and Carbon 14 are isotopes of carbon.

In Hydrogen, most hydrogen atoms consist of 1 proton and 1 electron (atomic mass = 1). But there are two other isotopes of Hydrogen:-
Deuterium has 1 proton, 1 electron PLUS 1 neutron (atomic mass = 2)
Tritium has 1 proton, 1 electron PLUS 2 neutrons (atomic mass = 3)

All three versions are isotopes of Hydrogen. They react the same - eg they all burn in oxygen to form water but their mass is different.

Most of the rarer isotopes of an element (eg Carbon 14) are less stable and gradually decay into the the more common stable form by losing their additional neutrons. The neutrons given off in this way are known as radiation - in other words Carbon 14 is the radiocative isotope of carbon.

Answer 6

Isotopes of an element have the same number of protons and electrons (atomic no.) but different numbers of neutrons (atomic mass)