2.

ISOTOPES

WHAT ARE ISOTOPES? ARE THEY IMPORTANT?

 Isotopes are atoms of the same element with different numbers of

neutrons in the nucleus and therefore different masses (different nucleon
number or mass number).
o Isotopes are atoms of the same atomic number but different mass
numbers.
 Some elements have just one isotope but others may have up to
eight different isotopes.
 Most elements have one or more stable isotopes, but many
other isotopes are unstable, disintegrate spontaneously (nuclear
decay) and are known as radioactive.
o This gives each isotope of a particular element a different mass or
nucleon number, but, being the same element they have the same
atomic number or proton number, but different nucleon number.
o Isotopes of a particular element are also chemically identical,
because they have the same number of electrons, hence the same
electron structure and will therefore behave in an identical manner to
each other.
o Study the diagrams of the isotopes of carbon further down the page.
o Relative Isotopic Mass is dealt with on a separate calculation page
 (and see also mass spectrometry)
 The phrase 'heavier' or 'lighter' isotope means 'bigger' or 'smaller' mass
number for a particular element.
 There are small physical differences between the isotopes e.g. the heavier
isotope has a greater density or boiling point, the lighter the isotope the faster
it diffuses.
 However, because they have the same number of protons
(proton/atomic number) isotopes of a particular element have the same
electronic structure and identical chemistry.
 Examples of isotopes are illustrated and described below.
 Caution Note: Do NOT assume the word isotope means the atom it is
radioactive, this depends on the stability of the nucleus i.e. unstable atoms
(radioactive) might be referred to as radioisotopes.
 Many isotopes are extremely stable in the nuclear sense and NOT radioactive
i.e. most of the atoms that make up you and the world around you!

 hydrogen–1, hydrogen–2, and hydrogen–3 are the three

isotopes of hydrogen with mass numbers of 1, 2 and 3, with 0, 1 and 2
neutrons respectively. All have 1 proton, since all are hydrogen! Hydrogen–1
is the most common, there is a trace of hydrogen–2 (sometimes called
deuterium) naturally but hydrogen–3 (sometime called tritium) is very
unstable and is used in atomic bombs – nuclear fusion weapons.
o They are sometimes denoted more simply as 1H, 2H and 3H since the
chemical symbol H means hydrogen and therefore must have only one
proton (atomic number 1).
 and or 3He and 4He, are the two isotopes of helium with mass
numbers of 3 and 4, with 1 and 2 neutrons respectively but both have 2
protons. Helium–3 is formed in the Sun by the initial nuclear fusion process.
Helium–4 is also formed in the Sun and as a product of radioactive alpha
decay of an unstable nucleus.
o An alpha particle is a helium nucleus (mass 4, charge +2) and if it
picks up two electrons it becomes a stable atoms of the gas helium.
For more details see Radioactivity Revision Notes Part 4

 and or 23Na and 24Na, are the two isotopes of sodium with
mass numbers of 23 and 24, with 12 and 13 neutrons respectively but both
have 11 protons in the nucleus and 11 surrounding electrons. Sodium–23 is
quite stable e.g. in common salt (NaCl, sodium chloride) but sodium–24 is a
radio–isotope and is a gamma emitter used in medicine as a radioactive
tracer e.g. to examine organs and the blood system.

 and are the two nuclear symbols for the two most common and
stable isotopes of the element chlorine. They both have 17 protons in the
nucleus and 35–17 = 18 and 37–17 = 20 neutrons respectively (and both
have 17 surrounding electrons).

 and are the two nuclide symbols for the two most common and
stable isotopes of the element bromine. They both have 35 protons in the
nucleus and 79–35 = 44 neutrons and 81–35 = 46 neutrons respectively. By
coincidence, there are almost exactly 50% of each isotope present in naturally
occurring bromine.
 The three known isotopes of carbon (the electron structure is fully
explained in the next section)

o
o
o

nuclide %
isotope protons neutrons electrons
symbol abundance
carbon– 12 C 98.9%,
6 6 6 6
12 stable
carbon– 13 C 1.1%,
6 6 7 6
13 stable
trace,
carbon– 14 C
6 6 8 6 unstable
14
radioactive

o The table of information on the three isotopes of carbon is illustrated by

the diagrams above it.
o The electronic structure is also shown and is fully explained in the next
section 3.
o Two carbon isotopes are very stable, but carbon-14 slowly decays and
is used by archaeologists to radiocarbon date objects. (See
archaeological radiocarbon-14 dating)
o Now is an appropriate point to introduce the concept and definition of
relative atomic mass (Ar), which is required for very accurate
quantitative chemistry calculations.
o The relative atomic mass of an element is the average mass of all
the isotopes present compared to 1/12th of the mass of a carbon–
12 atom (12C = 12.00000 amu i.e. the standard).
 When you average the masses of the isotopes of carbon, taking
into account their relative abundance (%), you arrive at a relative
atomic mass of carbon of 12.011, Ar(C) = 12.011, though at this
academic level 12.0 is usually accurate enough!
 See also chemical calculations on how to calculate relative
atomic mass
 I've put this calculation on its own page because there is plenty
on atomic structure already on this page!
  Anything on this page relevant to the calculation of RAM is
repeated on the page.
 EXTRA NOTE ON 'ATOMIC' NOTATION – representation of isotopes of
ions
 Nuclide notation and ions
o Ions are NOT neutral, they have an net electrical charge caused by the
atom losing or gaining electrons to give a positive or negative ion.
o This process is called ionisation and there is never any change in the
number of protons or neutrons in the nucleus, just a change in the
number of orbiting electrons.

o sodium–24 isotope ion, 11 protons, 13 neutrons, 10

electrons (one electron lost to form a singly charged positive ion)

o sodium–23 isotope ion, 11, protons, 12 neutrons, 10

electrons (one electron lost to form a singly positive ion)

o isotope sulfur–32 in the form of the sulfide ion, 16 protons, 16

neutrons, 18 electrons (two electrons gained to form the doubly
charged negative ion)
 Knowledge of isotopes is important in modern science.
o Radioactive isotopes are used in medicine to trace aspects of body
chemistry due to their radioactive emissions, and in chemical synthesis
as tracers to follow how a reaction sequence occurs.
o Radioactive isotopes are used in radiotherapy to kill malignant cancer
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