The term “Isotope” is associated with chemistry. Here I will explain about isotopes with some suitable examples and their types.
Each chemical element is characterized by the number of protons in the nucleus, called atomic number (Z). Thus, hydrogen (1 H) has one proton, carbon (6 C) has 6 protons and oxygen (8 O) has 8 protons in the nucleus.
The number of neutrons of the core may vary. There are almost always equal or more neutrons than protons. The atomic mass (A) is obtained by adding the number of protons and neutrons of a given core.
The Same chemical element can be constituted by different atoms, i.e. their atomic numbers are equal, but the number of neutrons is different. These atoms are termed isotopes of the element. Isotope means “same place “, i.e. Isotopes of an element have the same atomic number; exist at the same place in the periodic table.
So:
If an atom adds a proton, it becomes a new chemical element.
If an atom adds a neutron, it becomes an isotope of the chemical element.
Isotopes of a chemical element have same chemical properties but different physical properties. This small difference is derived from their different atomic mass. Thus, while the light water molecules weigh 18 Daltons molecule heavy water (containing D instead of H) weighs 20 Daltons. This increase will affect its density, boiling point, etc.
Isotopes are mainly divided into two categories which are stable isotopes and non-stable isotopes or radioactive isotopes, will be discussed later.
For example, isotopes of Carbon, there are three natural carbon isotopes: carbon 12 constitutes (C-12)the natural carbon and serves as the standard scale atomic masses which has 6 protons and six neutrons; carbon 13(C-13) is the only magnetic isotope of carbon which has 6 protons and seven neutrons and is used in structural studies of compounds containing this element; carbon-14(C-14)which has 6 protons and eight neutrons, produced by the bombardment of nitrogen with cosmic rays, is radioactive (with a half-life of 5760 years) and is used to date archaeological objects.
In addition, to this, it is must to be highlighted that it was at the beginning of the 20th century when the term isotope was used for the first time. In particular, the creator of it was the English scientist Frederick Soddy who had gone to the history of chemistry by inventing this, and has carried out important research on radioactive elements and the nature of the quoted item.
As mentioned above, isotopes have two types which are:
Stable Isotopes: Stable isotopes have a stable combination of proton-neutron and do not show any sign of decay. This stability comes from the number of neutrons in an atom. If an atom has too many or too few neutrons, this tends to disintegrate and become unstable. Given that stable isotopes do not decay, these do not represent any effect physiologically hazardous to humans and other living beings.
Uses of stable Isotopes: Oxygen, hydrogen, sulphur, nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes are used in environmental and ecological experiments. A scientific procedure using a stable isotope is geochemistry, which concerns with the study of the chemical contribution of the geological minerals and rocks materials. Through the use of stable isotopes, the geochemical can determine the age of the geological material they are studying.
Radioactive Isotopes: Radioactive isotopes have a combination of unstable proton-neutron. These isotopes decay and often emit certain types of radiation, including alpha rays, beta, and gamma. There are also various types of radioactive isotopes depending on the creation process: long-term, cosmogenic, anthropogenic and radiogenic.
Uses of Radioactive Isotopes: Radioactive isotopes are used in agriculture, the food industry, pest control, archaeology and medicine. Radiocarbon dating, which measures the age of an object carbon carrier, uses a radioactive isotope of carbon called carbon-14. In medicine, the gamma rays emitted by radioactive substances are beneficial in detecting tumors within the body.
To avail best Isotope Labeling Service you can go for BOC Science.
