sciencestudent100 Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Have a question on radioactive decay... Radioactive decay is due to isotopes. Isotopes are unstable atoms therefore produce energy via three particles; alpha, beta, gamma. The definition of an isotope, is a substance that has the same number of protons and different number of neutrons. Does this mean an isotope is "the same number of protons and different number of neutrons" compared to the values of that atom in the periodic table? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathematic Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 The periodic table is based on the number of electrons, which equals the number of protons, for that element. Therefore all isotopes of a given element have the same number of protons and differ in the number of neutrons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ophiolite Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 The periodic table is based on the number of electrons, which equals the number of protons, for that element. Therefore all isotopes of a given element have the same number of protons and differ in the number of neutrons. This is incorrect. Because of ionisation the number of electrons can vary. It is the number of protons in the nucleus, the atomic number, that determines the elements place in the periodic table. Then, as you say, isotopes of that element vary with the number of neutrons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swansont Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 Radioactive decay is due to isotopes. Isotopes are unstable atoms therefore produce energy via three particles; alpha, beta, gamma. The definition of an isotope, is a substance that has the same number of protons and different number of neutrons. Does this mean an isotope is "the same number of protons and different number of neutrons" compared to the values of that atom in the periodic table? Radioactive decay is not "due to isotopes." Isotopes, as you state, have the same number of protons and different number of neutrons. Some are stable, some are unstable. All isotopes of Carbon, for example, have 6 protons. C-12 has 6 neutrons and is stable. C-14 had 8 neutrons and is unstable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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