understanding concepts

[kenzie2244]

How do radioisotopes of an element differ from other isotopes?

[Law Student]

They simply have a different number of neutrons.

LS

[Cheeris]

Not sure if the number of neutrons is really what the question is after. After all, any two isotopes of an element will differ from each other due to the number of neutrons, but thsi specifically asks why are radioisotopes different.

If asked this question I would say they differ because the nucleus of a radioisotope is unstable, unlike the other isotopes of that element, which means it at some point it will spontaneously decay into another isotope or even another element.

[Law Student]

Cheeris, please name an isotope that decays to an isotope of the same element!!!!

LS

[newtron]

Cheeris is right. There are two types of isotopes: radio isotopes and stable isotopes. Radio isotopes decay into other elements, but stable isotopes do not as they are stable. For example, there are three isotopes of hydrogen: hydrogen (one proton), deuterium (one proton and one neutron), and tritium (one proton and two neutrons). hydrogen and deuterium are stable isotopes and tritium is a radio isotope.