The terms "isotope" and "radioisotope" refer to different concepts in nuclear chemistry and physics.
Isotope
- Definition: Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons (atomic number) but a different number of neutrons. This means they have different atomic masses.
- Examples: For example, Carbon-12 (¹²C) and Carbon-14 (¹⁴C) are both isotopes of carbon. They have 6 protons but differ in their number of neutrons (6 for Carbon-12 and 8 for Carbon-14).
- Stability: Isotopes can be stable or unstable. Stable isotopes do not change over time, while unstable isotopes can undergo radioactive decay.
Radioisotope
- Definition: Radioisotopes are a subset of isotopes that are radioactive. They have unstable nuclei that release energy in the form of radiation as they decay into more stable forms.
- Examples: Carbon-14 is also a radioisotope because it is unstable and decays over time, emitting radiation. Other examples include Uranium-238 (²³⁸U) and Iodine-131 (¹³¹I).
- Uses: Radioisotopes have various applications, including medical imaging and treatments (like cancer therapy), archaeological dating (e.g., carbon dating), and as tracers in scientific research.
Summary
In summary, all radioisotopes are isotopes, but not all isotopes are radioisotopes. The key distinction is that radioisotopes are unstable and emit radiation, while isotopes can be either stable or unstable.
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