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Isotopes

- Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons. The number of protons stays the same. - Isotopes can be stable or unstable/radioactive. Unstable isotopes can change their number of neutrons over time. - Isotopes share similar physical and chemical properties but can be identified by their mass number, which is the total number of protons and neutrons. The mass number is used to name different isotopes of an element.

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490 views

Isotopes

- Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons. The number of protons stays the same. - Isotopes can be stable or unstable/radioactive. Unstable isotopes can change their number of neutrons over time. - Isotopes share similar physical and chemical properties but can be identified by their mass number, which is the total number of protons and neutrons. The mass number is used to name different isotopes of an element.

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Isotope

Are All Atoms of an Element the


Same?

Not necessarily. Some atoms have an


unequal number of protons and neutrons.
We call these atoms isotopes.

In an isotope, the number of protons in an


element always remains the same. The
neutrons change.

Lets look at an example

How are they different?


Proton

Proton

Neutron
Electron

This is a Hydrogen Atom

Electron

This is a Hydrogen Atom


Isotope

The isotope has 2 particles which means it has greater mass.

Properties of Isotopes
Each

element has a limited number of


isotopes that occur naturally

Some

isotopes have unique properties


because they are unstable

Properties of Isotopes
An

atom that is unstable means that


the nucleus has the ability to change
the numbers of neutrons that are in
the nuclear space.

Isotopes

that are unstable are also


called radioactive.

Properties of Isotopes
Simply

statedIsotopes share almost


all of the same physical and chemical
characteristics.

For

example, Oxygen isotopes are


colorless, odorless gases at room
temperature (physical).

How Can We Tell One


Isotope from
another?

Each

element has a mass number which


identifies the isotope of the element.

Mass

number = protons + neutrons in


an atom

Electrons

have such small mass they


are not included in this calculation

Naming Isotopes
Lets

go back to our earlier


example of the hydrogen atom
and the hydrogen isotope.

Name That Isotope!


Proton

Proton

Neutron
Electron

There is 1 proton and 0


neutrons so the name of this
atom is Hydrogen-1

Electron

There is now 1 proton AND 1


neutron so the name changes
to Hydrogen-2

So How Do I Figure Out The


Number of Protons And
Neutrons?
As

an example, well look at the


carbon isotope, with a mass
number of 12 (found on the Periodic
Table) Its called Carbon-12.

Mass Number
12
- # Protons (atomic number)
Number of neutrons 6

-6

Try One
Determine

the number of protons,


neutrons, and electrons in an aluminum27 (Al).

13

protons, 14 neutrons, and 13 electrons

How
Its

did we get the number of electrons?

the same as the number of protons.

Lets Try One!


Use

what you know about Carbon-12


to create Carbon-13.

Using

your Periodic Table


create Hydrogen-2 (H), Helium-3
(He), and Carbon-14 (C).

Where Have I Heard


Carbon-14 Before?

BrainPOP
Isotopes

The

isotope carbon-14 is used in


radio-carbon-dating of animal and
plant fossils.

Uranium-238,

uranium-235, and
thorium-232 are isotopes that
scientists use to tell the age of rocks
and meteorites.

Calculating the Mass of an


Element
Most

elements found in nature


contain a mixture of two or more
stable (nonradioactive) isotopes

The

Atomic Mass is the average of the


masses of all the naturally occurring
isotopes of an element.

Lets try it!


The

metal thallium occurs


naturally as 30 percent thallium203 and 70 percent thallium-205.
Calculate the atomic mass.
204.4 amu

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