Question

What are the Isotopes? What are the applications?

Answer 1

Hint: Chemical elements contain subatomic particles, neutrons, protons and electrons. The sum of the neutrons and protons can be termed as mass number. The number of protons gives the atomic number. The elements with the same atomic number but different mass number are termed as isotopes.

Complete answer:
Atoms are tiny particles consisting of subatomic particles, neutrons, protons and electrons. The neutrons and protons together can be called as nucleons, as these both are present in the nucleus. Nucleus is the heavy portion in the center of the atom consisting of protons and neutrons, making the nucleus positively charged. Electrons are negatively charged particles present outside the nucleus.
The sum of the protons and neutrons can be called the mass number, it was represented by A. The number of protons is called atomic number, it is represented by Z. Atoms contain the same number of protons and neutrons to balance the atom, but consist of different numbers of neutrons.
Chemical elements with the same atomic number but consisting of different mass numbers are called isotopes. This difference in mass number is due to the different number of neutrons in atoms.
Hydrogen elements can exist in three isotopes. Proton, deuterium, and tritium.
Isotopes have different applications.
Isotopic labelling can be used to determine the reaction sites.
Uranium isotope is used as a fuel in nuclear reactors.
Cobalt isotope can be used in the treatment of cancer.
Iodine isotope can be used in the treatment of goiter.

Note:
Isotopes are classified into different types like radioactive isotopes, stable isotopes and primordial isotopes. Radioactive isotopes are unstable and undergo radioactive decay to produce another nucleus. Stable isotopes are stable, $$C-12$$isotope is stable isotope. Primordial isotopes have existed since a very long time.