ISOTOPESISOTOPES

WHAT’S AN ISOTOPE?WHAT’S AN ISOTOPE?

• An Isotope is simply an atom of an element with less or more neutrons and this causes the mass number to change.

• This affects the density and mass number of the atom, giving it new properties and uses

Non-isotope carbon

Isotope carbon

ONLY THE # OF NEUTRONS CHANGE IN

AN ISOTOPE

WHAT DO WE USE THEM WHAT DO WE USE THEM FOR?FOR?

• We use isotopes for We use isotopes for many things, includingmany things, including

• TELLING HOW OLD TELLING HOW OLD ITEMS AREITEMS ARE

• TRACING AND TRACING AND MARKING CHEMICAL MARKING CHEMICAL REACTIONSREACTIONS

Although an expensive process, carbon dating is used from identifying when a fossil is from, to crime scenes to identify a timeframe of victims

This stone age man was found preserved in the ice in the 21st century, and carbon dating was used in finding his age

CARBON DATING

• Carbon dating is the most common form of isotope dating

• Based on CARBON 14, a naturally occurring isotope of carbon with two more neutrons

• Based on their half lives, we can calculate how much of the isotope has decayed

• Half lives are how long it takes for all of the isotope to leave the vessel

TRITTIUM & DEUTERIUMTRITTIUM & DEUTERIUM

Isotope of Isotope of HydrogenHydrogen

One proton, two One proton, two neutronneutron

RadioactiveRadioactive Released in nuclear Released in nuclear

reactionsreactions

Isotope of Isotope of HydrogenHydrogen

One proton, one One proton, one neutronneutron

Naturally occurring Naturally occurring in oceansin oceans

More viscous than More viscous than waterwater

CARBON 14CARBON 14

Used in carbon Used in carbon datingdating

Two more neutrons Two more neutrons than regular than regular carboncarbon

StableStable

Naturally occuringNaturally occuring

QUIZ TIMEQUIZ TIME

WHAT IS ISOTOPE DATING USED FOR?

A.) Polymerization

B.) Identifying age

C.) MRI machines

D.) Identifying Chuck Norris’s victims

WHAT IS CHANGED IN AN ISOTOPE?

A.) # of Protons

B.) # of Electrons

C.) # of Neutrons

D.) # of Chuck Norris roundhouse kicks

WHAT DOES THE DIFFERENCES IN ISOTOPES DO TO AN ELEMENT?

A.) Changes its outward appearance

B.) Change It’s personality

C.) Change it’s mass and density

D.) Change how fast Chuck Norris’s foot travels through a human head

SHORT ANSWERSHORT ANSWERWhat do scientists use in order to date an object, in relating to it’s decay?

NAME AN ISOTOPE OTHER THAN CARBON 14

HEY THERE

WHICH IS THE PROPER WHICH IS THE PROPER ISOTOPE?ISOTOPE?

ORIGINAL GALLIUM

P- 31

E- 31

N- 39

ISOTOPE #3

P- 12

E- 31

N-39

ISOTOPE #1

P- 31

E- 12

N- 39

ISOTOPE #2

P- 31

E- 31

N- 12

SILLY PENGUIN, YOU CAN’T FLY