Isotopes are atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons in their nucleus. As they differ in the number of neutrons in the nucleus, they have a different mass number.
The atoms that are isotopes to each other, have the same atomic number, but different mass number. The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus, and the mass number is the sum of the number of neutrons and protons found in the nucleus.
The three examples of hydrogen isotopes.
If the isotopes are of different elements, then the number of neutrons will also be different. Chemical elements usually have more than one isotope.
There are only 21 elements of the periodic table that only have a natural isotope for its element, such as beryllium or sodium. And on the other hand, there are elements that can reach the 10 stable isotopes such as tin.
There are also elements such as uranium, in which their isotopes can be transformed into stable or less stable isotopes, where they emit radiation, so we call them unstable.
Unstable isotopes are used to estimate the age of natural samples, such as carbon 13, since knowing the rate of disintegration of the isotope in relation to those that have already declined can be known a very accurate age dating. In this way the age of the Earth is known.
We can distinguish between two types of isotopes, natural or artificial. Natural isotopes are found in nature and artificial ones are created in a laboratory by bombardment of subatomic particles.
Leading examples of isotopes
1-Carbon 14: is a carbon isotope with a half-life of 5,730 years that is used in archeology to determine the age of rocks and organic matter.
2-Uranium 235: This uranium isotope is used in nuclear power plants to provide nuclear power, just as it is used to build atomic bombs.
3-Iridium 192: this isotope is an artificial isotope used to check the tightness of the tubes.
4-Uranium 233: This isotope is artificial and not found in nature, and is used in nuclear power plants.
5-Cobalt 60: used for cancer because it emits radiation more powerful than radium and is cheaper.
6-Technetium 99: this isotope is used in medicine to look for clogged blood vessels
7-Radio 226: this isotope is used for the treatment of skin cancer
8-Bromo 82: this is used to perform hydrographic surveys of water flows or the dynamics of lakes.
9-Tritium: This isotope is an isotope of hydrogen used in medicine as a tracer. The well-known hydrogen bomb really is a tritium pump.
10-Iodine 131: is a radionuclide that was used in the nuclear tests carried out in 1945. This isotope increases the risk of cancer in addition to diseases like the thyroid.
11-Arsenic 73: serves to determine the amount of arsenic that has been absorbed by the body
12-Arsenic 74: this is used for the determination and location of brain tumors.
13-Nitrogen 15: is used in scientific research to perform the nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy test. It is also used in agriculture.
14-Gold 198: this one is used for the drilling of oil wells
15-Mercury 147: this is used for the realization of electrolytic cells
16-Lanthanum 140: used in boilers and industrial furnaces
17-Phosphorus 32: used in bone medical tests, bones in addition to bone marrow
18-Phosphorus 33: is used to recognize nuclei of DNA or nucleotides.
19-Scandium 46: this isotope is used in soil and sediment analyzes
20-Fluorine 18: also known as Fludesoxyglucose, and is used to make studies of body tissues.
Other examples of isotopes
- Antimony 121
- Argon 40
- Sulfur 32
- Barium 135
- Beryllium 8
- Boro 11
- Bromine 79
- Cadmium 106
- Cadmium 108
- Cadmium 116
- Calcium 40
- Calcium 42
- Calcium 46
- Calcium 48
- Carbon 12
- Cerium 142
- Zirconium 90
- Chlorine 35
- Copper 65
- Chrome 50
- Dystrosy 161
- Dysprosium 163
- Dysprosium 170
- Erbium 166
- Tin 112
- Tin 115
- Tin 120
- Tin 122
- Strontium 87
- Europio 153
- Gadolinium 158
- Gallium 69
- Germanium 74
- Hafnium 177
- Helio 3
- Helio 4
- Hydrogen 1
- Hydrogen 2
- Iron 54
- Indio 115
- Iridio 191
- Iterbio 173
- Krypton 80
- Krypton 84
- Lithium 6
- Magnesium 24
- Mercury 200
- Mercury 202
- Molybdenum 98
- Neodymium 144
- Neon 20
- Nickel 60
- Nitrogen 15
- Osmio 188
- Osmium 190
- Oxygen 16
- Oxygen 17
- Oxygen 18
- Palladium 102
- Palladium 106
- Silver 107
- Platinum 192
- Lead 203
- Lead 206
- Lead 208
- Potassium 39
- Potassium 41
- Renius 187
- Rubidio 87
- Ruthenium 101
- Ruthenium 98
- Samarium 144
- Samarium 150
- Selenium 74
- Selenium 82
- Silicon 28
- Silicon 30
- Thallium 203
- Thallium 205
- Teluro 125
- Teluro 127
- Titanium 46
- Titanium 49
- Uranium 238
- Wolframio 183
- Xenon 124
- Xenon 130
- Zinc 64
- Zinc 66
- Zinc 67
References
- COTTON, F. Albert Wilkinson, et al. Basic inorganic chemistry . Limusa, 1996.
- RODGERS, Glen E. Inorganic chemistry: Introduction to coordination chemistry, solid state and descriptive . McGraw-Hill Interamericana, 1995.
- RAYNER-CANHAM, GeoffScalona García, et al. Descriptive inorganic chemistry . Pearson Education, 2000.
- HUHEEY, James E. KEITER, et al. Inorganic chemistry: principles of structure and reactivity . Oxford:, 2005.
- GUTIÉRREZ RÍOS, Enrique. Inorganic chemistry . 1994.
- HOUSECROFT, Catherine E., et al. Inorganic chemistry . 2006.
- COTTON, F. Albert; WILKINSON, Geoffrey. Basic inorganic chemistry . 1987.