Difference between revisions of "Isotope"
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'''Isotope''' is a term that refers to the different individual atomic masses that a particular element exhibits. For example, the element Carbon most stably occurs in nature as Carbon-12, indicating an atomic mass of 12. However, an common unstable isotope, Carbon-14, popularly used by scientist to date artifacts, has an atomic mass of 14. Unstable isotopes are known as [[Radioactive isotope|radioactive isotopes]], and will decay overtime to a more stable isotope. | '''Isotope''' is a term that refers to the different individual atomic masses that a particular element exhibits. For example, the element Carbon most stably occurs in nature as Carbon-12, indicating an atomic mass of 12. However, an common unstable isotope, Carbon-14, popularly used by scientist to date artifacts, has an atomic mass of 14. Unstable isotopes are known as [[Radioactive isotope|radioactive isotopes]], and will decay overtime to a more stable isotope. | ||
| + | [[category:physics]] | ||
Revision as of 05:07, April 11, 2007
Isotope is a term that refers to the different individual atomic masses that a particular element exhibits. For example, the element Carbon most stably occurs in nature as Carbon-12, indicating an atomic mass of 12. However, an common unstable isotope, Carbon-14, popularly used by scientist to date artifacts, has an atomic mass of 14. Unstable isotopes are known as radioactive isotopes, and will decay overtime to a more stable isotope.