What is an isotope in chemistry?
Isotopes are the "varieties" of the elements. Anyone who takes a closer look at the structure of atoms will find out about this whims of nature not only in chemistry but also in physics.
The atomic nucleus is examined
- Matter consists of the smallest particles, the atoms.
- However, these are not indivisible (as previously assumed), but in turn consist of a heavy atomic nucleus and an electron shell.
- The atomic nucleus itself, which bears almost the entire mass of the atom, is dependent on the corresponding element in the chemistry, made up of protons (they carry the positive charge) and neutrons (which are uncharged).
- The number of protons determines the atomic number of the element. The lightest element is hydrogen, the nucleus of which consists of a proton. Its ordinal number is correspondingly "1".
- In the end, it is not possible to say exactly why there are also neutrons as neutral particles in the nucleus. One reason is that, through their presence, they add to the persistence of the core.
What is the difference between the isotopes U235 and U238?
Can you really differentiate between the two uranium isotopes U235 and U238 and what is ...
Isotopes in chemistry - a freak of nature
- Almost all chemical elements (exceptions: gold, fluorine) have atomic nuclei with different numbers of neutrons.
- Even with light hydrogen there is not only the variant "1 proton in the nucleus", the normal hydrogen (notation: 1H), but two more, namely the heavier deuterium, the nucleus of which has 1 proton and 1 neutron (2D or 2H)) as well as the (radioactive) tritium, whose nucleus also has 1 proton, but 2 neutrons (3T or 3H).
- In other words: not all atomic nuclei within a chemical element are the same. They always contain the same number of protons (which determines the atomic number and the chemical element), but a different number of neutrons.
- These variants of an element are called isotopes.
- However, this only works for them physics (Nuclear physics and radioactivity) and in some cases also for chemistry (so-called. Isotope effect, for example in heavy water D2O) significant effect not noticeable in daily life.
- Because the isotopes of an element make no difference when chemical compounds are formed. And in Periodic table in chemistry, all isotopes are also in the same place.
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