What is a simple definition of an isotope?
Atoms with the same number of protons, but different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei are chemically identical atoms of the same element, but have different masses and may differ in their nuclear properties.
Such atoms are isotopes of the same element. Some isotopes are radioactive isotopes, or radionuclides, which have unstable nuclei that give off charged particles and gamma rays in the form of radioactivity.
Radioactivity may have detrimental, or even fatal, health effects; a number of hazardous substances are radioactive, and they can cause major environmental problems.
The most striking example of such contamination resulted from a massive explosion and fire at a power reactor in the Ukrainian city of Chernobyl in 1986.
No comments:
Post a Comment