Atoms, elements and compounds

Isotopes

Isotopes of elements of which each of two or more forms of the same element that contain equal
numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei, and hence differ in relative
atomic mass but not in chemical properties

Radioisotopes

Radioisotopes are radioactive isotopes of an element. They can also be defined as atoms that contain
an unstable combination of neutrons and protons, or excess energy in their nucleus. Carbon-14 has
Half Life of 5,700 years and Chlorine-36 of 301,000 years

Radioactive isotopes are used for diagnostic radiology, radiation medicine, and radiopharmaceuticals

Stable isotopes are non-radioactive forms of atoms. Although they do not emit radiation, their unique
properties enable them to be used in a broad variety of applications, including water and soil
management, environmental studies, nutrition assessment studies and forensics.

Stable isotopes can also be used as tracers, which are deliberately added to a system that is to be
studied, such as in agriculture or nutrition. For this purpose, they must be separated using highly
sophisticated techniques, such as mass spectrometry.

Why an atom of nitrogen is electrically neutral?

The atom's nucleus contains two kinds of particles: neutrons and protons. ... Nitrogen has 7 protons,
7 neutrons and 7 electrons. Heavier atoms tend to have more neutrons than protons, but the number
of electrons in an atom is always equal to the number of protons. So an atom as a whole is
electrically neutral.

An electron shell may be thought of as an orbit followed by electrons around an atom nucleus.
Because each shell can contain only a fixed number of electrons, each shell is associated with a
particular range of electron energy, and thus each shell must fill completely before electrons can be
added to an outer shell. The electrons in the outermost shell determine the chemical properties of the
atom (see Valence shell). For an explanation of why electrons exist in these shells see electron
configuration

The electron shells are labeled K, L, M, N, O, P, and Q; or 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7; going from innermost
shell outwards. Electrons in outer shells have higher average energy and travel farther from the
nucleus than those in inner shells. This makes them more important in determining how the atom
reacts chemically because the pull of the atom's nucleus upon them is weaker and more easily
broken. In this way, a given element's reactivity is highly dependent upon its
eletronic configuration

The noble gases are the chemical elements in group 18 of the periodic table. They are the most stable
due to having the maximum number of valence electrons their outer shell can hold. Therefore, they
rarely react with other elements since they are already stable.
Neon, like all noble gases, has a full valence shell. Noble gases have eight electrons in their outermost
shell, except in the case of helium, which has two.