Isotope

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Isotopes are forms of the same chemical element whose nuclei contain the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. They therefore share an atomic number but have different mass numbers.

Most chemical properties are similar because isotopes have the same electron structure, although mass differences can affect reaction rates and physical behaviour. Some isotopes are stable, while others decay radioactively.

Radioactive isotopes transform into other nuclei while emitting particles or radiation. Their half-lives range from tiny fractions of a second to periods longer than the age of the universe.

Isotopes are used in geological dating, medical diagnosis and therapy, environmental tracing, nuclear energy, archaeology, biology, and studies of climate and planetary history. Isotope ratios often record the origin and transformation of materials.

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• Source / publisher: Wikipedia
• URL type: WWW
• Credits: Wikipedia
• URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotope