Hydrogen:
* Protium (¹H): The most common isotope, with one proton and no neutrons.
* Deuterium (²H): Contains one proton and one neutron. It's used in nuclear fusion research.
* Tritium (³H): Contains one proton and two neutrons. It's radioactive and used in some applications like tritium-based light sources.
Carbon:
* Carbon-12 (¹²C): The most common isotope, with six protons and six neutrons. It forms the basis of the atomic mass unit.
* Carbon-14 (¹⁴C): Radioactive with six protons and eight neutrons. Used in carbon dating to determine the age of ancient artifacts.
Oxygen:
* Oxygen-16 (¹⁶O): The most abundant isotope, with eight protons and eight neutrons.
* Oxygen-18 (¹⁸O): Used in paleoclimate research to study past temperatures.
Uranium:
* Uranium-235 (²³⁵U): Fissile isotope used in nuclear power plants and weapons.
* Uranium-238 (²³⁸U): Most abundant natural uranium isotope. Used in nuclear power plants, but not fissile.
Other Examples:
* Potassium-40 (⁴⁰K): Radioactive isotope found in bananas and used in potassium-argon dating.
* Chlorine-35 (³⁵Cl) and Chlorine-37 (³⁷Cl): Both occur naturally and contribute to the average atomic mass of chlorine.
* Cobalt-60 (⁶⁰Co): Radioactive isotope used in medical radiation therapy.
* Iodine-131 (¹³¹I): Radioactive isotope used in thyroid treatments and medical imaging.
Key Takeaways:
* Isotopes of an element have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. This leads to variations in their atomic mass.
* Some isotopes are radioactive, while others are stable.
* Isotopes have various applications in fields like medicine, archaeology, and energy production.
