DEFINITION OF ISOTOPE

Atoms are the smallest unit of matter that can take

part in chemical reactions, and they cannot be broken down

chemically into smaller parts. The simple structure of an

atom consists of a nucleus, containing the heavy particles

including the protons and neutrons, orbited by shells of nega-

tively charged electrons. Protons are positively charged,

whereas neutrons have no charge. Every element has its own

characteristic nucleus with the same number of protons,

known as the atomic number. For an atom to be electrically

neutral it must have the same number of protons and electrons,

and if the charge is unbalanced the particle is called an

ion. The atomic weight refers to the number of protons plus

the numbers of neutrons. When atoms of the same element

(same number of protons) have different numbers of neutrons,

they are referred to as isotopes of the same element.

Some isotopes are stable, whereas others are unstable and

decay emitting radioactivity. Despite this, all isotopes of the

same element exhibit identical chemical properties.

See also GEOCHEMISTRY.

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