Science 8 Study Guide

ISOTOPES

• Are different version of an element or atom.

• It occurs when atoms have the same atomic number and protons but different numbers of
neutrons in the nucleus.
o The numbers of neutrons in an atom does not affect the way
an element behaves chemically, but it does affect the way it
behaves physically. The protons in the nucleus are held together
by the strong nuclear force which overcomes the electrostatic
repulsion between individual protons.
o Neutron helps provide stability to the nucleus of an atom.
Positively charged protons repel each other, but neutrons lessen the
effect of that repulsion by getting between them, essentially.
o The strong nuclear force also binds neutrons to protons.
o Too many or too few neutrons can affect the stability of the nucleus
causing radioactive decay to occur and new elements to be formed.
• All elements have isotopes.
o There are two main types of isotopes: stable and unstable (radioactive).
■ An atom is stable if the forces among the particles (protons and neutrons) that makeup the nucleus
are balanced.
■ An atom is unstable (radioactive) if the forces among the particles (protons and neutrons) that
makeup the nucleus are unbalanced.
❖ Radioisotopes are the unstable form of an element that emit radiation to transform into a more
stable form. Radiation is easily traceable and can cause changes in the substance it falls upon.
These special attributes make radioisotopes useful in medicine, industry, and other area.
❖ The radiation emitted is energetic and can be of different types, most often alpha (a), beta (b) and
gamma (g). Their behavior differs from one another, though all the three causes some ionization and
carry some penetration power.
❖ During radioactivity, particles like alpha, beta & gamma rays are emitted by an atom, due to
unstable atom trying to gain stability. Hence, the atoms eventually decay by emitting a particle that
transforms when they are unstable and transforms the nucleus into a lower energy state. This
process of decaying continues till the nucleus attains a stable stage.
ISOTOPIC NOTATION (nuclear notation)
• It is significant because it allows us to quickly calculate an isotope's mass number, atomic number,
and the number of neutrons and protons in the nucleus using a visual symbol rather than using a
lot of words.
• Is a shorthand notation that use a hyphen to separate the mass number and the atomic number.
For example: U-235. This represents a uranium isotope with a mass number of 235 and an atomic
number of 92.
• is a shorthand notation for isotopes and atoms that provide a concise way to represent the
composition of an element, specifying its mass number, atomic number, and chemical symbol.