Understanding Isotopes in Chemistry

What are atoms with the same atomic number but different atomic mass called?

Answer

Atoms with the same atomic number but different atomic mass are called isotopes. Isotopes contain atoms of the same element with the same proton number (atomic number) but different number of neutrons (atomic mass = protons + neutrons).

Isotopes in Chemistry

Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element which differ in neutron number, and consequently in nucleon number. All isotopes of a given element have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons in each atom. For example, carbon-12, carbon-13, and carbon-14 are three isotopes of the element carbon with mass numbers 12, 13, and 14 respectively.

Uses of Isotopes

Isotopes have various applications in different fields such as medicine, industry, and environmental science. In medicine, isotopes are used in imaging techniques like PET scans and in radiation therapy for cancer treatment. In industry, isotopes are used in quality control of products and materials. In environmental science, isotopes are used to trace the movement of pollutants in the environment.

Stable and Radioactive Isotopes

Isotopes can be categorized into two main groups: stable isotopes and radioactive isotopes. Stable isotopes do not undergo radioactive decay and remain unchanged over time, while radioactive isotopes have unstable nuclei that decay and emit radiation.

Conclusion

Understanding isotopes is essential in the field of chemistry as it helps in explaining the variations in atomic mass of elements. Isotopes play a crucial role in different scientific disciplines and have a wide range of practical applications.