Loadfl378

Atoms of the same element (i.e., same atomic number, Z) that have different numbers of neutrons are called isotopes. For example, 99% of the carbon atoms on Earth have 6 neutrons and 6 protons in their nuclei; about 1% of the carbon atoms have 7 neutrons in their nuclei. Isotopes have nearly identical and properties. Atomic number/Z; mass number/A; number of protons; number of neutrons; chemical; physical An atom of a stable isotope weighs that the sum of its constituents. Isotopes of an element have the same number of protons, but different numbers of protons.

1. Isotopes Have Different Numbers Of What
2. Isotopes Of Magnesium Have Different Numbers Of
3. Isotopes Have Different Numbers Of
4. Isotopes Of Boron Have Different Numbers Of
5. Isotopes Have Different Numbers Of Neutrons

Key Difference – Isotopes vs Isobars vs Isotones

Isotopes are atoms of the same chemical element having different numbers of neutrons. Therefore isotopes of the same chemical element have the same atomic number but different atomic masses. Isobars are atoms of different chemical elements. Therefore the atomic numbers are essentially different from each other. Isotones have the same number of neutrons in their atomic nucleus. The key difference between isotopes, isobars and isotones is that isotopes are atoms with the same number of protons, but differing numbers of neutrons and isobars are atoms of different chemical elements having equal values for atomic mass whereas isotones are atoms of different chemical elements having an equal number of neutrons in the atomic nucleus.

Isotopes Have Different Numbers Of What

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Isotopes
3. What are Isobars
4. What are Isotones
5. Side by Side Comparison – Isotopes vs Isobars vs Isotones in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What are Isotopes?

Isotopes are atoms with the same number of protons, but differing numbers of neutrons. A number of protons in the atom is the atomic number of that atom. A particular chemical element has a fixed number of protons. Hence, the atomic number of the atoms of the same chemical element is similar to each other. Therefore, isotopes are atoms of the same chemical element. The total number of protons and neutrons is known as the atomic mass. Isotopes have different atomic masses.

The chemical behaviour of isotopes of a chemical element is identical, but the physical properties are different from each other. Almost all the chemical elements have isotopes. There are 275 known isotopes of 81 stable chemical elements. For a particular chemical element, there are stable isotopes as well as radioactive isotopes (unstable).

An isotope is named using the name of the chemical element and the atomic mass of the isotope. For example, the two isotopes of Helium are noted as “helium-2” and “helium-4”. Some examples of isotopes are given below.

What are Isobars?

Isobars are atoms of different chemical elements having equal values for atomic mass. Atomic mass is the sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom. A proton or a neutron is known as a nucleon. Therefore, isobars have the same number of nucleons.

The atomic numbers of these isobars are different from each other because different chemical elements have different atomic numbers. The Mattauch isobar rule states that if two adjacent elements on the periodic table have isotopes of the same mass number (isobars), one of these isotopes must be radioactive. If there are isobars of three sequential elements exist, first and last isobars are stable, and the middle one may undergo radioactive decay. An isobar series is a collection of different isotopes that have the same atomic mass.

What are Isotones?

Isotones are atoms of different elements having an equal number of neutrons in the atomic nucleus. Isotones have different atomic numbers (number of protons in the nucleus is different from each other) as well as different atomic masses. It can be expressed as below;

Atomic number = Z

Atomic mass = A

Number of neutron = N

Isotopes Of Magnesium Have Different Numbers Of

For all isotones in one series, A≠Z but (A-Z)=N (N is equal for all the isotones in one series). Some examples for isotones are given below.

What is the Difference Between Isotopes and Isobars and Isotones?

Summary – Isotopes vs Isobars vs Isotones

Isotopes, isobars and isotones are terms used to describe relationships between atoms of different chemical elements. The difference between isotopes, isobars and isotones is that isotopes are atoms with the same number of protons, but differing numbers of neutrons and isobars are atoms of different chemical elements having equal values for atomic mass whereas isotones are atoms of different elements having an equal number of neutrons in the atomic nucleus.

Reference:

Isotopes Have Different Numbers Of

1.Helmenstine, Anne Marie, D. “Isotopes Definition and Examples in Chemistry.” ThoughtCo, Aug. 4 2017. Available here
2.The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Isotone.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 20 July 1998. Available here
3.“Isobar (Nuclide).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Dec. 2017. Available here
4.Herzog, Gregory F. “Isotope.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 6 Dec. 2017. Available here

Image Courtesy:

1.’Izotopii hidrogenului’By Nicolae Coman – Own work, (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia

Isotopes Of Boron Have Different Numbers Of

A family of people often consists of related but not identical individuals. Elements have families as well, known as isotopes. Isotopes are members of a family of an element that all have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

The number of protons in a nucleus determines the element’s atomic number on the Periodic Table. For example, carbon has six protons and is atomic number 6. Carbon occurs naturally in three isotopes: carbon 12, which has 6 neutrons (plus 6 protons equals 12), carbon 13, which has 7 neutrons, and carbon 14, which has 8 neutrons. Every element has its own number of isotopes.

The addition of even one neutron can dramatically change an isotope’s properties. Carbon-12 is stable, meaning it never undergoes radioactive decay. Carbon-14 is unstable and undergoes radioactive decay with a half-life of about 5,730 years (meaning that half of the material will be gone after 5,730 years). This decay means the amount of carbon-14 in an object serves as a clock, showing the object’s age in a process called “carbon dating.”

Isotopes have unique properties, and these properties make them useful in diagnostics and treatment applications. They are important in nuclear medicine, oil and gas exploration, basic research, and national security.

DOE Office of Science & Isotopes

Isotopes are needed for research, commerce, medical diagnostics and treatment, and national security. However, isotopes are not always available in sufficient quantities or at reasonable prices. The DOE Isotope Program addresses this need. The program produces and distributes radioactive and stable isotopes that are in short supply, including byproducts, surplus materials, and related isotope services. The program also maintains the infrastructure required to produce and supply priority isotope products and related services. Finally, it conducts research and development on new and improved isotope production and processing techniques.

Isotope Facts

• All elements have isotopes.
• There are two main types of isotopes: stable and unstable (radioactive).
• There are 254 known stable isotopes.
• All artificial (lab-made) isotopes are unstable and therefore radioactive; scientists call them radioisotopes.
• Some elements can only exist in an unstable form (for example, uranium).
• Hydrogen is the only element whose isotopes have unique names: deuterium for hydrogen with one neutron and tritium for hydrogen with two neutrons.

Resources and Related Terms

• National Isotope Development Center (Isotope Basics)

Isotopes Have Different Numbers Of Neutrons

Scientific terms can be confusing. DOE Explains offers straightforward explanations of key words and concepts in fundamental science. It also describes how these concepts apply to the work that the Department of Energy’s Office of Science conducts as it helps the United States excel in research across the scientific spectrum.