The Science Behind Isotopes

A radioactive element does not have any stable isotopes, which means it may spontaneously degenerate, emitting alpha particles, beta particles and occasionally gamma rays. Some examples of radioactive elements are uranium, promethium and curium. Radioactive elements could be used either negative or positive.

An ionic bond is defined as a type of chemical bond formed between two ions with opposite charges (PBS & WGBH). An ionic compound is made of a positive and negative ion. The positive ion will have to be formed from an atom that has the tendency to lose electrons. The negative ion will have to be formed from an atom that has the tendency to gain electrons (PBS & WGBH). Another thing ionic bonds can be called is an electrovalent bond (Britannica).

Multiple forms of the same element that have the same amount of protons but different number of neutrons in their nuclei.

In recent years, the oil and natural gas industry has continued to expand to populated areas, thus growing a concern for nearby communities regarding volatile organic compounds (VOCs) air toxics and human exposure.1 Current screening methods to determine exposure of toxic VOCs such as the family of Benzene, Toluene, Ethylene and Xylene (BTEX) requires a traditional gas chromatograph (GC), which requires high energy use and its bulky size is not ideal for long-term field deployment and real-time measurements. Sensor technology advancements have enabled the use of low-cost devices to measure VOCs, but require additional techniques for chemical speciation for BTEX identification (i.e.

After World War II the United States began mass-producing radioactive isotopes. These were shipped for the use of physicians and scientists. It provided physicians with new tools for the diagnoses and therapy of disease, specifically cancer. The radioactive isotopes were also used by scientists. It enabled molecular transformations to be traced by biologists. Radioactive isotopes were however undercut in the 1950s as the dangers of low-level radiation was

Isotopes are essential to the universe in a chemical and even a social aspect, standing as a variation of an element portrayed as unique. Important questions surround isotopes, how are they distinctive and ultimately what is an isotope? To answer that question, isotopes are a form of an element that differs in the number of neutrons in the nucleus but does not differ in protons of that element. An isotope in particular that contributed to society is Plutonium-238, which is understood to be a radioactive isotope.

Ionic compounds and molecular compounds are very different. These differences can be used to distinguish one from another by using the main properties for each compound. For example, if a substance could not conduct electricity and had low melting points, it would be labeled as a molecular compound since those properties correspond directly with the properties of a molecular compound. If a substance was able to conduct electricity and had high melting points, it would be labeled as a ionic compound because those properties correspond directly with the properties of an ionic compound. The differences in whether a substance has the ability to conduct electricity or not and whether it has high or low melting temperatures can be

Isotopes are different forms of the same element. They have the same number of protons and electrons, but are different in the number of neutrons. As an example, consider the three isotopes of Candium. M&Ms, Skittles, and Reese's Pieces. They are all types of Candium with only one proton in the nucleus and one electron in an energy level around the nucleus, but all three have different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei.

Atomic number, is a correct answer. Atomic number is the total number of proton of the element. (Gilbert, 2012) It is always used to differentiate the elements since every element have their unique atomic number. The differences of atomic number enabled elements to react with other substances differently.

A nucleus is part of an atom, and a nucleus is made of three things, protons, electrons and neutrons. Protons have a positive charge and usually has the same amount of neutrons, with a neutral charge. Then there are electrons, with a negative charge, which usually orbits the nucleus and creates “shells”. There are three types of atoms, you have atoms, isotopes, and ions. The ion usually has a positive charge, or it has more protons than electrons. Then we have Isotopes, which have a negative charge, or more electrons than protons. Finally, there are neutral atoms, which have equal numbers of protons and electrons with a neutral charge. With atoms comes an atomic number, which is a number of protons and electrons. Then a number of protons and

As explained earlier Uranium-235 is the main isotope used, being found in nature only .709% of the time, however other isotopes such as Uranium-238, being found 97% of the time, and Uranium-239, at about 2% of the time, are given off9. The name of an isotope is determined by the mass of that isotope. For example, uranium-235 has a certain number of protons and neutrons that add up to 235 hence the name. The only difference between the isotopes is the number of neutrons and protons each one has which determines its reactivity; all isotopes have the same atomic number12. The more neutrons and protons difference there is within an element the more reactive it will be in thermodynamics and nuclear forces that act upon it. Isotopes however are used in more than just nuclear chemistry; they are used in medicine for treating brain tumors and in determining the age of

This paper will run through the potential and numerous clinical uses of terbium in nuclear medicine. Terbium is a rare metal and is still under clinical trials in Europe and is the only element in the periodic table with four clinically relevant radioisotopes with remarkable nuclear decay characteristics and could possibly be used in a vast array of nuclear medicine procedures, including diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The four forms of terbium under clinical trials are 149Tb, 152Tb, 155Tb, and 161Tb. 149Tb is being clinically tested as an alpha particle emitting radionuclide for alpha-immunotherapy. Due to it’s relatively short half-life of 4.1 hours and low energy emittance of alpha particles, make it principally well suited for application in unification with small-molecular-weight targeting agents, including peptides, which are quickly vacated from the body. 152Tb with a half like of 17.5 hours emits positrons perfect for postitron emission tomography imaging. 155Tb emits gamma rays and has a half life of 5.32 days with relatively low energies of 86.55 and 105.3 keV respectively, it is being tested for diagnostic purposes for positron emission tomography and single-photon emission computed tomography cameras. 161Tb produces beta minus particles and is being tested for therapeutic purposes while showing great promise with tumor visualization and remission. The

For the 80 elements that have one or more stable isotopes, the average number of stable isotopes is 257/80 = 3.2 isotopes per element.

The scholarly article that I have chosen that depicts an isotope analysis is based on the

My research interest primarily involves the application of metal (e.g., Ca, Mg, Sr, Fe and Cu) and non-metal (e.g., S) isotopes in understanding biogeochemical cycles of elements in modern environment as well as in the geologic past. Moreover, I am also interested in the development of metal stable isotopes as geochemical proxies to reconstruct the paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic conditions.