Isotopes - Chemistry (1 Viewer)

[SaraJayne]

I know that the isotope of an element has the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

But how do i know which elements are Isotopes?

 

[QZP]

You can think of an "element" as a family. Isotopes are just the different family members. It's not that some elements are isotopes, and that other elements are not isotopes. That doesn't really make sense.

 

[SaraJayne]

Ummm it kind of makes sense! Thank you xx

 

[anomalousdecay]

Isotopes are a variant of an element purely due to a different number of neutrons in the nucleus.



For example:

Potassium-14, has 7 neutrons in the nucleus and Potassium-15 has 8 neutrons in the nucleus.

These two are isotopes of the same element Potassium.

Btw, next time post this in the Prelminary/HSC Chemistry section.