isotope

(noun)

Any of two or more forms of an element where the atoms have the same number of protons, but a different number of neutrons within their nuclei. As a consequence, atoms for the same isotope will have the same atomic number but a different mass number (atomic weight).

Related Terms

Examples of isotope in the following topics:

  • Stable Isotopes

    • The term isotope refers to the number of neutrons a certain element contains.
    • A stable isotope is a chemical isotope that is not radioactive.
    • The element with the most stable isotopes is tin which as 10 stable isotopes.
    • Knowledge about stable isotopes is important in a variety of fields.
    • This is a table that represents atom decay yielding various isotopes.

  • Chemical Assays, Radioisotopic Methods, and Microelectrodes

    • Three major types used for this purpose include chemical assays, radio isotopic methods and the use of micro electrodes.
    • Radioisotopes are specific types of isotopes that emit radioactivity.
    • Isotopes of an element vary in the number of neutrons within their nuclei.

  • Martian Biosignatures

    • A biosignature is any substance - such as an element, isotope, molecule, or phenomenon - that provides scientific evidence of past or present life.

  • Crystallographic Analysis

    • Neutron crystallography is often used to help refine structures obtained by x-ray methods or to solve a specific bond; the methods are often viewed as complementary, as x-rays are sensitive to electron positions and scatter most strongly off heavy atoms, while neutrons are sensitive to nucleus positions and scatter strongly off many light isotopes, including hydrogen and deuterium.

  • DNA Analysis Using Genetic Probes and PCR

    • The sequence is then reisolated from plasmids and labeled with an isotope or substrate for diagnostic use.

  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

    • PLFA analysis may be combined with stable isotope probing to determine which microbes are metabolically active in a sample.

  • Methanogenesis

    • It was argued that atmospheric methane can also come from volcanoes or other fissures in the planet's crust, and that without an Isotopic signature of the carbon, it is difficult to confirm the origin of the methane.