To be specific I need to find two, but the more the better! Thanks!
2007-11-26 08:56:06 · 2 answers · asked by Jerry 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
All elements theoretically have isotopes (versions of the same atom, but with a different number of neutrons in the nucleus). However, many isotopes are unstable and don't last long, and are therefore rare.
An example of a stable isotope is the second isotope of hydrogen, which is called "deuterium". It's just like hydrogen, except its nucleus has one neutron, instead of zero. About 1 in 6500 hydrogen atoms is deuterium.
Another famous example is carbon-14, which is just like the more common carbon-12, except it has two extra neutrons. This makes it slightly unstable, and it decays at a known rate, which allows radiocarbon dating (widely used by archaeologists and paleontologists to determine the age of something they've dug up).
2007-11-26 09:02:05 · answer #1 · answered by lithiumdeuteride 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Carbon has three forms C12, 14 and 16.
2007-11-26 17:07:52 · answer #2 · answered by Peggy P 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋