Isotope: Difference between revisions

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'''Chemical isotopes''' are used in many medical and scientific fields, and [[radioactive]] isotopes (radioisotopes)can cause severe damage to plants and animals.  Some radioactive isotopes are used in [[nuclear bombs]] and [[nuclear energy]] production.  Most chemical elements can have forms with different atom masses, and each of these atom masses is called an isotope of that element.  Atoms consist of protons, neutrons and electrons.  The number of protons determines the name of the chemical element, while the number of neutrons (and protons) determines the particular isotope of the element.
'''Isotopes''' are forms of [[chemical elements]] which have the same [[atomic number]] but a different [[atomic mass]], or, the same number of [[proton]]s in the [[nucleus|atomic nucleus]], but different numbers of [[neutron]]s.
For example, carbon-12 (<sup>12</sup>C), carbon-13 (<sup>13</sup>C) and carbon-14 (<sup>14</sup>C) are three isotopes of carbon, each containing six protons and also containing six, seven or eight neutrons, respectively.  While carbon-12 is the most common form, <sup>13</sup>C is magnetically active, and it is therefore useful for [[magnetic resonance imaging]] (MRI) and [[nuclear magnetic resonance]] spectroscopy.  Carbon-14 is radioactive, and is, therefore, useful for detecting very small amounts of material.  A typical use of <sup>14</sup>C might involve determining all metabolitic endpoints of a new drug candidate.  Radioactive isotopes are unstable, and 50% of radioisotopes are converted to another substance in one half-life.
 
For example, carbon-12 (<sup>12</sup>C), carbon-13 (<sup>13</sup>C) and carbon-14 (<sup>14</sup>C) are three isotopes of carbon, each containing six protons and also containing six, seven or eight neutrons, respectively.  While carbon-12 is the most common form, <sup>13</sup>C is magnetically active, and it is therefore useful for [[magnetic resonance imaging]] (MRI) and [[nuclear magnetic resonance]] spectroscopy.  Carbon-14 is radioactive, and is therefore useful for radiation tracing and age determination.   


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Revision as of 12:31, 26 July 2007

Isotopes are forms of chemical elements which have the same atomic number but a different atomic mass, or, the same number of protons in the atomic nucleus, but different numbers of neutrons.

For example, carbon-12 (12C), carbon-13 (13C) and carbon-14 (14C) are three isotopes of carbon, each containing six protons and also containing six, seven or eight neutrons, respectively. While carbon-12 is the most common form, 13C is magnetically active, and it is therefore useful for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Carbon-14 is radioactive, and is therefore useful for radiation tracing and age determination.

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