• Isotopes are atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but different neutrons in their nuclei.

• The number of protons determines an element's identity and position on the periodic table.

• The number of neutrons, while not affecting the element's chemical properties, does influence its atomic mass and physical properties.

• Same chemical properties:  Isotopes of the same element generally behave the same chemically because their outer electrons, which dictate chemical interactions, remain the same.

• Different physical properties:  The varying number of neutrons can lead to differences in physical properties like:

  • Density

  • Melting and boiling points

  • Magnetic properties

  • Stability (some isotopes are radioactive)

• Stable isotopes: The majority of isotopes are stable, meaning they don't decay radioactively.

• Radioisotopes (unstable isotopes): These isotopes are unstable and emit radiation as they decay into different nuclei. They have various applications in medicine, technology, and scientific research.

Examples of isotopes:

• Hydrogen:

  • Protium (most common, 1 proton, 0 neutrons)

  • Deuterium (1 proton, 1 neutron)

  • Tritium (1 proton, 2 neutrons)

• Carbon:

  • Carbon-12 (most common, 6 protons, 6 neutrons)

  • Carbon-14 (radioisotope, 6 protons, 8 neutrons)

Isotopic signatures:

• The unique combination of isotopes present in a sample is called its isotopic signature.

• This signature can be like a fingerprint, used for various purposes like:

  • Tracing the origin and movement of materials in nature (e.g., tracking pollution sources)

  • Authenticating products (e.g., identifying food fraud)

  • Dating objects (e.g., using carbon-14 dating for archaeological artifacts)