EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons are called isotopes. They share almost the same chemical properties, but differ in mass and therefore in physical properties.

Detailed explanation-2: -Isotopes. An Isotope is an atom that has gained or lost NEUTRONS. If an atom gains/loses neutrons, charge is not affected. If an atom gains neutrons, its mass will increase.

Detailed explanation-3: -There are two main types of isotopes: stable and unstable (radioactive). There are 254 known stable isotopes. All artificial (lab-made) isotopes are unstable and therefore radioactive; scientists call them radioisotopes. Some elements can only exist in an unstable form (for example, uranium).

Detailed explanation-4: -An isotope is one of two or more species of atoms of a chemical element with the same atomic number and position in the periodic table and nearly identical chemical behavior but with different atomic masses and physical properties. Every chemical element has one or more isotopes.

Detailed explanation-5: -Some elements have no stable isotopes, which means that any atom of that element is radioactive. For some other elements, only certain isotopes are radioactive. A radioisotope is an isotope of an element that is unstable and undergoes radioactive decay.