CINXE.COM
isotope | Examples & Definition | Britannica
<!doctype html> <html data-ytrk-page="TOPIC PAGINATED LARGE" lang="en" class="ui-chrome74 ui-chrome"> <head prefix="og: http://ogp.me/ns# fb: http://ogp.me/ns/fb#"><script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=HxkREWBo" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("https://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope","20200509141434","https://web.archive.org/","web","/_static/", "1589033674"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=S1zqJCYt" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" /> <!-- End Wayback Rewrite JS Include --> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"/> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"/> <meta name="p:domain_verify" content="5247c07bac63b6b3250f68cfe355c9a2"/> <meta property="fb:pages" content="74442380906"/> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/resources"> <link rel="preconnect" href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/resources"> <meta name="description" content="One of two or more species of atoms of an element with the same atomic number but different atomic masses."/> <meta name="keywords" content="Isotope, encyclopedia, encyclopeadia, britannica, article"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope"/> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel"> window.$UI = {}; window.Constants = {"LICENSE_URL": "/bps/license","DEFAULT_TEST_VERSION": "A","AJAX_PREFIX_URL": "/ajax","TOPIC_BROWSE_URL": "/topic-browse","MARKETING_CONTENT": "/marketing-content","DEFAULT_STATE": "XX","QUIZ_URL": "/quiz","FAILED_LOGIN_URL": "/failedlogin","ENV_RUNTIME": "runtime","SPOTLIGHT_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/spotlight","USER_PROFILE_PARTNER_LOGO_URL": "/image/profile-partner","GALLERY_URL": "/gallery","CONTENT_TYPE_TEXT": "text/plain;charset=UTF-8","CONTENT_TYPE_HTML": "text/html;charset=UTF-8","ENV_LOCAL": "override","MEDIA_OVERLAY_URL": "/media-overlay","ENV_DEV": "development","RECTANGLE_THUMBNAIL_DIMENSION": "225,120","MEDIA_URL": "/media","TOPIC_MEDIA_PATH": "/images-videos","SIGNUPBOX_URL": "/auth/signup","STAND_ALONE_VIDEO_URL": "/video","DEBUG_URL": "/debug","MORE_ON_THIS_DAY_URL": "/more-on-this-day","ERROR_404_URL": "/error404","SEARCH_PAGE_URL": "/search","TOPIC_CONTENT_AJAX_URL": "/topic-content/topic","ERROR_URL": "/error","LOGIN_PAGE_URL": "/login","INSTANT_ARTICLES_URL": "/instant-articles","TOPIC_PAGE_CONTENT_AJAX_URL": "/topic-content/page","LOGINBOX_URL": "/auth/loginbox","DEFAULT_SOCIAL_PROFILE_PICTURE_URL": "/resources/images/social/default-member-210x210.jpg","INFINITE_SCROLL_PREFIX_URL": "/scroll","QUIZ_BROWSE_URL": "/quiz/browse","CC_USD": "USD","BIO_BROWSE_URL": "/biographies","SURVEY_URL": "/survey","SIGNUP_CREATE_ACCOUNT_URL": "/auth/signup/new-account","CATEGORY_BROWSE_URL": "/browse","LIST_URL": "/list","STORY_BROWSE_URL": "/stories","COUNTRY_US": "US","ALPHA_BROWSE_URL": "/sitemap","SOCIAL_LOGIN_SUCCESS_URL": "/auth/social-login","CONTENT_TYPE_JSON": "application/json","OPEN_MEDIA_OVERLAY_PARAMETER": "/media","COBRAND_IMAGE_URL": "/image/cobrand","SQUARE_THUMBNAIL_DIMENSION": "150,150","SUBMISSION_URL": "/submission","EB_LOG_OUT": "/auth2/logout","ENV_PRODUCTION": "production","FACTS_URL": "/facts","EB_DOMAIN": "britannica.com","NEWSLETTER_SUBSCRIPTION_URL": "/newsletter-subscription","INSIGHTS_LANDING_PAGE_URL_2": "/factsmatter","EB_PROTOCOL": "https://","INSIGHTS_LANDING_PAGE_URL_1": "/insights","RESOURCES_URL": "/resources","CONTENTFUL_ADMIN_PREFIX_URL": "/contentful-admin","TOPIC_AJAX_URL": "/ajax/topic","PROFILE_EB_EDITOR_URL": "/editor","WTFACT_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/wtfact","AMP_URL": "/amp","EB_LOGIN_OK": "/auth/eb-login/ok","SOCIAL_LOGIN_NEEDS_EMAIL_URL": "/auth/social-login-email","VIDEO_CHANNEL_URL": "/videos","GALLERY_BROWSE_URL": "/gallery/browse","SOCIAL_LOGIN_NEEDS_PASSWORD_URL": "/auth/social-login-password","CACHE_URL": "/cache","CC_INR": "INR","ARTICLE_PRINT_URL": "/print/article","FIRST_EDITION_URL": "/subscriber/firstedition","WW1_PORTAL_URL": "/discover/World-War-I","PROFILE_USER_URL": "/user","SOCIAL_LOGIN_SUCCESS_REDIRECT_URL": "/auth/social-login-redirect","MENDEL_COOKIE": "__mendel","DEMYSTIFIED_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/demystified","COMPANION_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/companion","MEDIA_FOLDER": "/eb-media","LIST_BROWSE_URL": "/list/browse","PROFILE_EXPERT_URL": "/contributor","USER_PROFILE_PICTURE_URL": "/image/profile","ASSEMBLY_IMAGE_URL": "/image/assembly","BRITANNICA_EDITORS_ID": "4419","EXPLORE_BROWSE": "/explore","DAY_IN_HISTORY_URL": "/on-this-day","DEFAULT_CURRENCY": "USD","SUBSCRIPTION_MICROSITE": "/subscriptions","CONTENT_TYPE_XML": "text/xml;charset=UTF-8","STORY_URL": "/story","DEFAULT_COUNTRY": "US","FEATURE_RENDITION_DIMENSION": "900,675","NAVBAR_URL": "/ajax/navbar","EB_LOGIN_URL": "/auth/eb-login","NEW_ARTICLES_URL": "/new-articles",}; window.Mendel = { "config" : { "page": "Topic", "videoPlayerId": "RVHVXRYp", "currentUrl": "https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope", "sharedUrl": "https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope", "userInfo": { "type": "ANONYMOUS" ,"userId": "" ,"currency": "USD" ,"country": "US" ,"state": "XX" ,"bcomId": "6493905078994103403" ,"hasAds": true ,"testVersion": "A" ,"mvst": {"PHONE_GISTED_LEG":"TRUE"} }, "isLoggedInAsUser": false, "analytics": { "gaId": "UA-6636134-11" }, "isMobile": false, "isTablet": false, "isPhone": false, "logoutUrl": "/auth2/logout", "selfServiceUrl": "https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://myaccount.britannica.com", "mendelCookieName": "__mendel", "mendelCookie": {"pagesViewed":1,"surveyShown":false}, "autocompleteToSearchPage": false,"topicUrl": "/science/isotope" ,"freeTopicReason": "NO_REFERRER" ,"topicId": 296583 ,"template": "DESKTOP" ,"type": "CORE" ,"hasEditMode": false ,"hasToc": true,"infiniteScrollList": [{"p":6,"t":296583},{"p":1,"t":103773},{"p":1,"t":439946},{"p":1,"t":464081},{"p":1,"t":181611},{"p":1,"t":654309},{"p":1,"t":511956},{"p":1,"t":618534},{"p":1,"t":415806},{"p":2,"t":416955}] ,"sequence": 1 ,"topics": {} } }; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> Mendel.marketingContents = [{"id":173,"name":"HAMBURGER_ADDITIONAL_MARKETING_CONTENT","selector":"#fake"},{"id":136,"name":"SUBSCRIPTION_LINK_DESKTOP\n","selector":"#fake"},{"id":123,"name":"HEADER_SUBSCRIPTION_DESKTOP2","selector":"#fake"},{"id":137,"name":"SEARCHBOX_BOTTOM","selector":"#fake"},{"id":134,"name":"SUBSCRIPTION_LINK_DESKTOP","selector":"#fake"}]; Mendel.marketingPageInfo = {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":6,"pageId":"296583","pageLength":541,"initialLoad":true}; </script> <meta property="fb:app_id" content="1887621861548296"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@britannica"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434im_/https://cdn.britannica.com/51/6051-004-FBE0B587/phase-diagrams-helium-3-show-isotopes-helium-4-states.jpg"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="One of two or more species of atoms of an element with the same atomic number but different atomic masses."/> <meta property="og:type" content="ARTICLE"/> <meta property="og:title" content="isotope | Examples & Definition"/> <meta property="og:description" content="One of two or more species of atoms of an element with the same atomic number but different atomic masses."/> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Encyclopedia Britannica"/> <meta property="og:url" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434im_/https://cdn.britannica.com/51/6051-004-FBE0B587/phase-diagrams-helium-3-show-isotopes-helium-4-states.jpg"/> <meta property="og:image:type" content="image/jpeg"/> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="init opengraph"> Mendel.openGraph = {"type":"ARTICLE","title":"isotope | Examples & Definition","description":"One of two or more species of atoms of an element with the same atomic number but different atomic masses.","imageUrl":"https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://cdn.britannica.com/51/6051-004-FBE0B587/phase-diagrams-helium-3-show-isotopes-helium-4-states.jpg","imageType":"image/jpeg","pageUrl":"https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope"}</script> <title>isotope | Examples & Definition | Britannica</title> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://fonts.googleapis.com/"> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://fonts.googleapis.com/"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434cs_/https://fonts.googleapis.com/icon?family=Material+Icons"> <link href="/web/20200509141434cs_/https://www.britannica.com/resources/css/libs/reset.css" rel="stylesheet"/> <link href="/web/20200509141434cs_/https://www.britannica.com/resources/dist/mendel-css.css?v=ad-refactor.22" rel="stylesheet"/> <link href="/web/20200509141434cs_/https://www.britannica.com/resources/dist/topic-page.css?v=ad-refactor.22" rel="stylesheet"/> <link href="/web/20200509141434cs_/https://www.britannica.com/resources/css/fontello/css/mendel-icons.css" rel="stylesheet"/> <script type="text/javascript"> if ('scrollRestoration' in history) { history.scrollRestoration = 'manual'; } </script> <script src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434js_/https://cdn.digitru.st/prod/1/digitrust.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> try { DigiTrust.initialize({ member: "MXoMW59N2l", site: "XNlcB44GhM" } ); } catch (e) {} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag = { cmd: [] }; </script> <script src="//web.archive.org/web/20200509141434js_/https://js-sec.indexww.com/ht/htw-britannica.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> window.Adomik = window.Adomik || {}; Adomik.randomAdGroup = function() { var rand = Math.random(); switch (false) { case !(rand < 0.09): return "ad_ex" + (Math.floor(100 * rand)); case !(rand < 0.10): return "ad_bc"; default: return "ad_opt"; } }; </script> <script src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434js_/https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js"></script> <script src="//web.archive.org/web/20200509141434js_/https://c.amazon-adsystem.com/aax2/apstag.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Amazon a9"> !function(a9,a){if(a[a9])return;function q(c,r){a[a9]._Q.push([c,r])}a[a9]={init:function(){q("i",arguments)},fetchBids:function(){q("f",arguments)},setDisplayBids:function(){},targetingKeys:function(){return[]},_Q:[]};}("apstag",window); </script> <script class="ads-script" type="application/json"> {"DFP":[{"id":25,"type":"DFP","selector":".rr-module-1","injector":"after","adParameters":{"targeting":{"TEMPLATE":"1","ARTICLE":"296583"},"size":[[300,250]],"wrappingStyle":"max-height:250px","pos":"TOP","wrappingCssClass":"d","id":"DESKTOP"},"displayType":"REGULAR"},{"id":30,"type":"DFP","selector":"article","injector":"prepend","adParameters":{"targeting":{"TEMPLATE":"1","ARTICLE":"296583"},"size":[[728,90],[970,250]],"pos":"TOP","wrappingCssClass":"toolbar-ad","id":"DESKTOP"},"displayType":"REGULAR"},{"id":32,"type":"DFP","selector":".end-of-content","injector":"after","adParameters":{"targeting":{"TEMPLATE":"1","ARTICLE":"296583"},"size":[[300,250]],"pos":"BOT6","id":"DESKTOP"},"displayType":"REGULAR"},{"id":33,"type":"DFP","selector":".AM5","injector":"after","adParameters":{"targeting":{"TEMPLATE":"1","ARTICLE":"296583"},"size":[[300,250]],"pos":"MID3","wrappingCssClass":"inline-ad","id":"DESKTOP"},"displayType":"REGULAR"},{"id":66,"type":"DFP","selector":".AM1","injector":"after","adParameters":{"targeting":{"TEMPLATE":"1","ARTICLE":"296583"},"size":[[300,250]],"pos":"MID","wrappingCssClass":"inline-ad","id":"DESKTOP"},"displayType":"REGULAR"},{"id":68,"type":"DFP","injector":"after","adParameters":{"targeting":{"TEMPLATE":"1","ARTICLE":"296583"},"size":[[728,90]],"pos":"CATFISH","id":"INDEX"},"displayType":"CATFISH"},{"id":26,"type":"DFP","selector":"aside","injector":"append","adParameters":{"targeting":{"TEMPLATE":"1","ARTICLE":"296583"},"size":[[300,250],[300,600]],"cssClass":"ad-separator-200","pos":"BOT","id":"DESKTOP"},"displayType":"REGULAR"}],"ORATV":[{"id":67,"type":"ORATV","selector":".AM3","injector":"after","displayType":"REGULAR"}]}</script> <script type="text/javascript"> Mendel.AD = { providers : {}, managers : {}, cmd : [], info : { "catfishTimeout" : 60, "googleGPTId" : "15510053", "googleAdsId" : "0081271244777268", "dfpLazyLoad" : false, "dfpLazyLoadParams" : {fetchMarginPercent:300,renderMarginPercent:200,mobileScaling:2.0}, "dfpEnvPrefix" : "", "catfishShown" : false ,"refreshInfo" : {ads:'all',max:12,timer:60,newAdUnit:true} ,"a9Id" : "3022" ,btMap : {"72890TOP":"5b28671e33-187","300250TOP":"5b28670719-187","970250TOP":"5b28671e33-187","32050MBOT":"5b28666f7a-187","32050MBOT2":"5b28668b17-187","32050MBOT3":"5b2866a677-187","72890BOT2":"5b2866940c-187","300250MBOT2":"5b2866c0c1-187","160600TOP":"5b2866fcce-187","300250PRE":"5b2866dd2f-187","72890BOT":"5b28667921-187","72890CATFISH":"5b2866d49d-187","300250MBOT4":"5b2866cc57-187","300250BOT6":"5b2866b9c3-187","300250BOT":"5b2866624d-187","32050MTOP":"5b2867138f-187","300250BOT3":"5b28669c20-187","300250BOT4":"5b2866af44-187","300250MTOP":"5b2867294c-187","300250BOT2":"5b28668232-187"} } }; </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20200509141434js_/https://www.britannica.com/resources/dist/mam-min.js?v=ad-refactor.22"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> Mendel.AD.cmd.push( function() { if ( __AD.isAdBlockerActivated() ) { __$.insertScript( 'https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://eb-com.videoplayerhub.com/videoplayer.js' ); } }); </script> <script id="ns_script_dc" data-key="12ca4747-8e80-4a36-b550-dc239c18b954" data-e="5" src="//web.archive.org/web/20200509141434js_/https://includemodal.global.ssl.fastly.net/sp.js" type="text/javascript" async></script> <script> dataLayer = []; </script> <script type="text/javascript">(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= '//web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-5W6NC8'); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> window._vwo_code = window._vwo_code || (function(){ var account_id=331471, settings_tolerance=2000, library_tolerance=2500, use_existing_jquery=false, is_spa=1, hide_element='none', f=false,d=document,code={use_existing_jquery:function(){return use_existing_jquery;},library_tolerance:function(){return library_tolerance;},finish:function(){if(!f){f=true;var a=d.getElementById('_vis_opt_path_hides');if(a)a.parentNode.removeChild(a);}},finished:function(){return f;},load:function(a){var b=d.createElement('script');b.src=a;b.type='text/javascript';b.innerText;b.onerror=function(){_vwo_code.finish();};d.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(b);},init:function(){ window.settings_timer=setTimeout('_vwo_code.finish()',settings_tolerance);var a=d.createElement('style'),b=hide_element?hide_element+'{opacity:0 !important;filter:alpha(opacity=0) !important;background:none !important;}':'',h=d.getElementsByTagName('head')[0];a.setAttribute('id','_vis_opt_path_hides');a.setAttribute('type','text/css');if(a.styleSheet)a.styleSheet.cssText=b;else a.appendChild(d.createTextNode(b));h.appendChild(a);this.load('https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://dev.visualwebsiteoptimizer.com/j.php?a='+account_id+'&u='+encodeURIComponent(d.URL)+'&f='+(+is_spa)+'&r='+Math.random());return settings_timer; }};window._vwo_settings_timer = code.init(); return code; }()); </script> </script> <meta http-equiv="last-modified" content="2020-04-09"/></head> <body data-leg="A" class="new-topic topic-desktop first-page-true user-ANONYMOUS md-desktop leg-a"> <script id="json-navbar-info" type="application/json"> {"browseTitles":["Categories","Features"],"topLinks":[{"title":"Biographies","url":"/biographies"},{"title":"On This Day","url":"/on-this-day"},{"title":"Quizzes","url":"/quiz/browse"}],"categoryLinks":[{"id":1000,"title":"Science","url":"/browse/Science","videoChannelUrl":"/videos/Science","description":"How can the sky be blue one day and stormy the next? Why do heavy objects tend to fall downwards when dropped? How are birds able to fly (and why can’t I do the same?)? Human beings have long been curious about the world in which we live, striving to identify connections among the phenomenons we witness and to understand how it all works. The field of science has developed over many centuries as a way of studying and understanding the world, beginning with the primitive stage of simply noting important regularities in nature and continuing through the rise of modern science. The modern-day sciences cover a vast range of fields, including biology, chemistry, meteorology, astronomy, physics, and much more.","imageUrl":"/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg"},{"id":2000,"title":"Technology","url":"/browse/Technology","videoChannelUrl":"/videos/Technology","description":"Humankind has long striven to improve its living conditions through the development of tools, instruments, and transportation and communications systems, all with the goal of making our lives easier, more productive and—why not—more fun, too! Thanks to human curiosity and technological research, many significant inventions have been made throughout history that in turn made a difference in our daily lives.","imageUrl":"/84/203584-131-357FBE7D/speed-internet-technology-background.jpg"},{"id":3000,"title":"Health & Medicine","url":"/browse/Health-Medicine","videoChannelUrl":"/videos/Health-Medicine","description":"The study of the human mind and body, how these function, and how they interact—not only with each other but also with their environment—has been of utmost importance in ensuring human well-being. Research on potential treatments and preventive medicine has expanded greatly with the development of modern medicine, and a network of disciplines, including such fields as genetics, psychology, and nutrition, aims to facilitate the betterment of our health.","imageUrl":"/07/192107-050-CE043374/anatomy-charts-human-body-muscle-systems-skeletal.jpg"},{"id":4000,"title":"Sports & Recreation","url":"/browse/Sports-Recreation","videoChannelUrl":"/videos/Sports-Recreation","description":"Physical contests and recreational games have long played a part in human society. In both team and solo sports, the human body has been pushed to its limits in the name of improving athletic performance and to break record upon record. The ancient Olympic Games are an early example of the contests in which humans have engaged to showcase physical prowess. In modern times, sports and games have evolved into a lucrative and competitive industry, while other leisure activities, such as card and video games, can be competitive or can just be a way to unwind or socialize.","imageUrl":"/13/170713-131-8D6B0AF7.jpg"},{"id":5000,"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"/browse/Geography-Travel","videoChannelUrl":"/videos/Geography-Travel","description":"Planet Earth contains some extraordinarily diverse environments, some of which are easily habitable and some not so much. In different areas of Earth, one might find sweltering deserts, dense tropical rainforests, or bone-chilling tundras. Each biome and habitat comes with its own selection of flora and fauna, and it may include physical features such as canyons, volcanoes, rivers, or caves. Human beings have built homes in many different environments, settling the area and organizing it into units such as cities, states, regions, and countries, each with its own points of interest. Shifting trends in human migration have resulted in a human geography that is profoundly different from that of centuries ago.","imageUrl":"/17/2317-050-758D0E55/World-map-descriptions-Herodotus-Black-Sea.jpg"},{"id":6000,"title":"World History","url":"/browse/World-History","videoChannelUrl":"/videos/World-History","description":"Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages. Investigating the causes and results of past events is critically important in gaining a full understanding and perspective of present-day issues.","imageUrl":"/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg"},{"id":7000,"title":"Philosophy & Religion","url":"/browse/Philosophy-Religion","videoChannelUrl":"/videos/Philosophy-Religion","description":"Humans have long pondered not only how we came to be, but also why we came to be. The earliest Greek philosophers focused their attention upon the origin and nature of the physical world; later philosophers have theorized about the nature of knowledge, truth, good and evil, love, friendship, and much more. Thus, philosophy involves a methodical assessment of any and all aspects of human existence and experience. The realms of philosophy and religion have sometimes intersected in conducting inquiries such as these. As with philosophy, the study of religion underscores how humankind has long speculated about its origins. The possibility of a higher being (or beings) to which livings things owe their existence has long captived human thought. Many religions also offer their own views on the nature of good and evil, and they may prescribe guidelines and judgment on different kinds of human behavior.","imageUrl":"/95/180595-050-EDF2CA3A.jpg"},{"id":8000,"title":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","url":"/browse/Lifestyles-Social-Issues","videoChannelUrl":"/videos/Lifestyles-Social-Issues","description":"It's easy enough to agree that human beings all around the world have certain basic requirements that must be fulfilled in order to ensure their individual and collective well-being. History has shown us, however, that it's not so easy to form societies or communities that fulfill these requirements for all members. The fight over human and civil rights has persisted for hundreds of years and remains alive today, both within the borders of nations and on an international scale. It has led to large-scale social movements and reforms concerning issues such as suffrage, slavery, women's rights, racial discrimination, environmentalism, gay rights, and more.","imageUrl":"/11/195611-131-4DFC1336/Belgian-pride-parade-People-streets-flags-Brussels-2017.jpg"},{"id":9000,"title":"Politics, Law & Government","url":"/browse/Politics-Law-Government","videoChannelUrl":"/videos/Politics-Law-Government","description":"The world today is divided territorially into more than 190 countries, each of which possesses a national government that claims to exercise sovereignty and seeks to compel obedience to its will by its citizens. Governments can be classified in any number of ways. For example, they might be classified by the number of rulers, thus distinguishing government by one (as in a monarchy or a tyranny) from government by the few (in an aristocracy or oligarchy) and from government by the many (as in a democracy). Governments can also be classified by mode of succession; for example, ascension to governmental leadership may follow the rules of hereditary succession, or it may be determined through elections or by force. Governments also vary in terms of the laws and rules of conduct that each political entity follows.","imageUrl":"/22/99622-050-E70BCD0A/Parthenon-Athens.jpg"},{"id":10000,"title":"Entertainment & Pop Culture","url":"/browse/Entertainment-Pop-Culture","videoChannelUrl":"/videos/Entertainment-Pop-Culture","description":"Entertainment and leisure activities have been a part of all cultures in one form or another since the ancient times, whether the activity in question involved participating in a dance performance, attending a Broadway show, going to a music festival, or watching a movie.","imageUrl":"/04/167104-050-A0D0F726.jpg"},{"id":11000,"title":"Visual Arts","url":"/browse/Visual-Arts","videoChannelUrl":"/videos/Visual-Arts","description":"These are the arts that meet the eye and evoke an emotion through an expression of skill and imagination. They include the most ancient forms, such as painting and drawing, and the arts that were born thanks to the development of technology, like sculpture, printmaking, photography, and installation art, the latter a combination of multiple creative expressions. Though beauty is in the eye of the beholder, different eras in art history have had their own principles to define beauty, from the richly ornamented taste of the Baroque to the simple, utilitarian style of the Prairie School.","imageUrl":"/45/24345-050-78FAA104.jpg"},{"id":12000,"title":"Literature","url":"/browse/Literature","videoChannelUrl":"/videos/Literature","description":"With the development of language, the human imagination has found a way to create and communicate through the written word. A literary work can transport us into a fictional, fantastic new world, describe a fleeting feeling, or simply give us a picture of the past through novels, poems, tragedies, epic works, and other genres. Through literature, communication becomes an art, and it can bridge and bond people and cultures of different languages and backgrounds.","imageUrl":"/44/172844-131-9695C31F/word-communication-stress-accent-letters-syllable.jpg"}],"featureLinks":[{"title":"Demystified","url":"/stories/demystified"},{"title":"#WTFact","url":"/stories/wtfact"},{"title":"Lists","url":"/list/browse"},{"title":"100 Women","url":"/explore/100women/"},{"title":"Saving Earth","url":"/explore/savingearth/"},{"title":"SpaceNext 50","url":"/explore/space/"},{"title":"Companions","url":"/stories/companion"},{"title":"Spotlight","url":"/stories/spotlight"},{"title":"Image Galleries","url":"/gallery/browse"}],"videoChannelsLinks":[{"title":"Britannica Classics","url":"/videos/britannica-classics","description":"Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives."},{"title":"This Week in History","url":"/videos/this-week-in-history","description":"In these videos, find out what happened this week (or any week!) in history."},{"title":"Britannica Explains","url":"/videos/explains","description":"In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions."},{"title":"Demystified Videos","url":"/videos/demystified","description":"In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions."},{"title":"#WTFact Videos","url":"/videos/wtfact","description":"In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find."}],"defaultCategoryHtml":"<DIV class=\"marketing-NAVBAR_CATEGORY marketing-content\" data-marketing-id=\"NAVBAR_CATEGORY\"><div style=\"color: #fff;\">\r\n <img style=\"max-height:50%; max-width:100%;\" src=\"https://safe.britannica.com/safeimages/GlobalNav_First Edition_1300x200_50k.jpg\" alt=\"Access Britannica's First Edition with your Britannica Premium Membership\" />\r\n <p style=\"text-align: center; margin:10px;\"> \r\n Access the world’s original book of answers. Our three-volume, first edition book is now available online through your Britannica Premium membership.\r\n </p>\r\n <div style=\"text-align:center; font-size:18px; line-height:18px; background:#106596; font-weight: 900; border-radius: 10px; max-width:300px; margin:auto \">\r\n <a href=\"https://subscription.britannica.com/subscribe?partnerCode=BP_FirstEdition_USD_A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" style=\"text-decoration:none; display:block; padding: 10px\">\r\n <span class=\"fallback-text\" style=\"color:#fff;\">Learn More</span>\r\n </a>\r\n </div>\r\n</div>\r\n </DIV>"} </script> <header id="header"> <div id="global-nav-react"></div> <div class="header-top-row grid no-gutter middle-xs pr-sm-10"> <div class="grid-sm-33 grid-xs-shrink"> <button class="js-toggle js-toggle-search-flyout md-button-unstyled text-white d-inline-flex p-15 pr-sm-25" type="button" aria-label="Search Britannica"> <span class="global-nav-hover"> <em class="material-icons inactive-icon" data-icon="search"></em> <em class="material-icons active-icon" data-icon="close"></em> <span class="d-none d-sm-inline"> Search Britannica </span> </span> </button> </div> <div id="global-nav-search"></div> <div class="grid-sm-33 grid-xs text-center"> <a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/" class="global-nav-title font-logotype font-lg-22 font-18 text-white"> <span class="d-none d-md-inline">Encyclopædia</span> Britannica </a> </div> <div class="grid-sm-33 grid-xs-shrink end-xs"> <div class="d-none d-sm-block"> <button class="md-button md-link text-white login-link"> <span class="global-nav-hover"> Login </span> </button> <span class="marketing-HEADER_SUBSCRIPTION_DESKTOP2 marketing-content" data-marketing-id="HEADER_SUBSCRIPTION_DESKTOP2"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://subscription.britannica.com/subscribe?partnerCode=BP_GN_Articles_USD_A" class="subscribe-link md-button md-outline text-white btn btn-sm btn-outline-white-orange" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Subscribe Now </a></span></div> <button class="js-toggle js-toggle-hamburger md-button-unstyled d-sm-none p-15" type="button" aria-label="Toggle mobile menu"> <span class="no-outline"> <em class="material-icons " data-icon="menu"></em> </span> </button> <div id="global-nav-hamburger"></div> </div> </div> <div class="subnav grid no-gutter middle-xs d-none d-sm-flex"> <div class="grid-lg-33 grid-xs"> <button class="js-toggle js-toggle-browse-subject md-button-unstyled d-inline-block py-10 pl-20 pr-10 pr-md-15 text-white" role="button"> <span class="global-nav-hover"> Categories<em class="material-icons inactive-icon" data-icon="expand_more"></em> <em class="material-icons active-icon" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </span> </button> <div id="global-nav-browse-subject" class="header-browse"> <ul class="d-none"> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/browse/Science">Science</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/browse/Technology">Technology</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/browse/Health-Medicine">Health & Medicine</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/browse/Sports-Recreation">Sports & Recreation</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/browse/Geography-Travel">Geography & Travel</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/browse/World-History">World History</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/browse/Philosophy-Religion">Philosophy & Religion</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/browse/Lifestyles-Social-Issues">Lifestyles & Social Issues</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/browse/Politics-Law-Government">Politics, Law & Government</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/browse/Entertainment-Pop-Culture">Entertainment & Pop Culture</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/browse/Visual-Arts">Visual Arts</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/browse/Literature">Literature</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="js-toggle js-toggle-features md-button-unstyled py-10 px-10 px-md-15 d-inline-block text-white" role="button"> <span class="global-nav-hover"> Features<em class="material-icons inactive-icon" data-icon="expand_more"></em> <em class="material-icons active-icon" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </span> </button> <div id="global-nav-browse-features" class="header-browse"> <ul class="d-none"> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/stories/demystified">Demystified</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/stories/wtfact">#WTFact</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/list/browse">Lists</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/explore/100women/">100 Women</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/explore/savingearth/">Saving Earth</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/explore/space/">SpaceNext 50</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/stories/companion">Companions</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/stories/spotlight">Spotlight</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/gallery/browse">Image Galleries</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="js-toggle js-toggle-videos md-button-unstyled py-10 px-10 px-md-15 d-inline-block text-white" role="button"> <span class="global-nav-hover"> Videos <em class="material-icons inactive-icon" data-icon="expand_more"></em> <em class="material-icons active-icon" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </span> </button> <div id="global-nav-browse-videos" class="header-browse"> <ul class="d-none"> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/videos/Science">Science</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/videos/Technology">Technology</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/videos/Health-Medicine">Health & Medicine</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/videos/Sports-Recreation">Sports & Recreation</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/videos/Geography-Travel">Geography & Travel</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/videos/World-History">World History</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/videos/Philosophy-Religion">Philosophy & Religion</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/videos/Lifestyles-Social-Issues">Lifestyles & Social Issues</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/videos/Politics-Law-Government">Politics, Law & Government</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/videos/Entertainment-Pop-Culture">Entertainment & Pop Culture</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/videos/Visual-Arts">Visual Arts</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/videos/Literature">Literature</a></li> </ul> <ul class="d-none"> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/videos/britannica-classics">Britannica Classics<br/>Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/videos/this-week-in-history">This Week in History<br/>In these videos, find out what happened this week (or any week!) in history.</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/videos/explains">Britannica Explains<br/>In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/videos/demystified">Demystified Videos<br/>In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/videos/wtfact">#WTFact Videos<br/>In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="grid-lg-33 grid-xs-shrink between-xs"> <a class="text-white mx-15 mx-md-20" href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/biographies"> <div class="global-nav-hover"> Biographies</div> </a> <a class="text-white mx-15 mx-md-20" href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day"> <div class="global-nav-hover"> On This Day</div> </a> <a class="text-white mx-15 mx-md-20" href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/quiz/browse"> <div class="global-nav-hover"> Quizzes</div> </a> <div class="d-block d-lg-none"> <div class="marketing-GLOBAL_NAV_SUBNAV_RIGHT marketing-content" data-marketing-id="GLOBAL_NAV_SUBNAV_RIGHT"><a class="mr-10 text-white link-white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/explore/savingearth/covid-19/" target="_blank">COVID-19</a></div></div> </div> <div class="grid-lg d-none d-lg-flex grid-xs end-xs"> <div class="marketing-GLOBAL_NAV_SUBNAV_RIGHT marketing-content" data-marketing-id="GLOBAL_NAV_SUBNAV_RIGHT"><a class="mr-10 text-white link-white" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/explore/savingearth/covid-19/" target="_blank">COVID-19</a></div></div> </div> </header> <div id="hamburger-login"></div> <main> <div class="md-page-wrapper"> <div id="content" class="md-content"> <div class="md-article-container template-desktop infinite-pagination"> <article class="article-content content" data-topic-id="296583"> <script class="topic-json" type="application/json"> { "296583": { "url": "/science/isotope", "shareUrl": "https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope", "title": "Isotope", "documentGroup": "TOPIC PAGINATED LARGE" } } </script> <div class="topic-toolbar sticky-toolbar flex middle-xs"> <div class="grid no-gutter"> <div class="toc-toggle-panel grid-xs-shrink pl-5 pl-sm-20 middle-xs between-xs"> <button type="button" class="toc-toggle-button text-blue-dark layout-column middle-xs" aria-label="Toggle Contents"> <em class="material-icons " data-icon="list"></em> <span class="d-none d-sm-inline font-10 text-600">Contents</span> </button> <button type="button" class="expand-collapse-button text-uppercase text-blue middle-xs d-none material-icons"></button> </div> <div class="grid-xs d-none d-lg-flex center-xs layout-column pl-20"> <div class="font-18 text-truncate">Isotope</div> <div class="text-uppercase font-11">chemistry</div> </div> <div class="grid-xs grid-lg-shrink end-xs middle-xs pr-10 pr-sm-0"> <button class="pill-button qa-article-button mr-10 active" title="Article"> <em class="material-icons " data-icon="description"></em> <span class="d-sm-inline d-none"> Article </span> </button> <a class="pill-button qa-media-button " href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/images-videos" title="Media"> <em class="material-icons " data-icon="collections"></em> <span class="d-sm-inline d-none"> Media </span> </a> </div> <div class="article-tools grid-xs-shrink d-none d-sm-flex end-xs"> <div class="wrapper d-flex end-xs"> <button class="popover-button toolbar-info js-trigger-info-modal layout-column p-5 text-uppercase text-blue-dark font-10 text-600 middle-xs"> <em class="material-icons " data-icon="info"></em> Info </button> <button class="popover-button toolbar-print d-lg-flex layout-column p-5 text-uppercase text-blue-dark font-10 text-600 middle-xs" data-popover=".print-popover"> <em class="material-icons " data-icon="print"></em> Print </button> <div class="print-popover md-popover text-left"> <div class="popover-body"> <div class="title">Print</div> Please select which sections you would like to print: <form action="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/print/article/296583" method="post" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <div class="print-box-items"> <ul> <li><label><input type="checkbox" name="sequence[]" value="0">Table Of Contents</label></li> </ul> </div> <input type="submit" class="md-button md-primary md-disabled" value="Print"/> </form> </div> </div> <button class="popover-button toolbar-cite layout-column p-5 text-uppercase text-blue-dark font-10 text-600 middle-xs" data-popover=".citation-popover" data-popover-url="/ajax/topic/296583/cite"> <em class="material-icons " data-icon="bookmark"></em> Cite </button> <div class="citation-popover md-popover"></div> <button class="popover-button toolbar-feedback layout-column p-5 text-uppercase text-blue-dark font-10 text-600 middle-xs" data-popover=".feedback-popover"> <em class="material-icons " data-icon="chat"></em> Feedback </button> <div class="feedback-popover md-popover text-left"> <div class="popover-body"> <form method="post" action="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/submission/feedback/296583"> <div class="title">Feedback</div> <label for="feedback"> Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </label> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type">Select feedback type:</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-control" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" required></textarea> <div class="text-center gutter-bottom"> <button class="md-button md-primary" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </div> </form> <div class="success-messaging ui-hidden"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> <a class="promo" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/http://corporate.britannica.com/publishing-partner-program/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Join <strong>Britannica's Publishing Partner Program</strong> and our community of experts to gain a global audience for your work! </a> </div> </div> </div> <button class="popover-button toolbar-share layout-column p-5 text-uppercase text-blue-dark font-10 text-600 middle-xs" data-popover=".share-popover"> <em class="material-icons " data-icon="share"></em> Share </button> <div class="share-popover md-popover text-left"> <div class="popover-body"> <div class="md-social-toolbar-circle center-xs inverted blue-border pt-15 start-xs" data-value="share" title="Isotope" data-url="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434oe_/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope"> <div class="share-label grid-xs">SHARE</div> <a class="ui-icon-facebook center-xs middle-xs" data-provider="facebook" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="Facebook"><span>Facebook</span></a> <a class="ui-icon-twitter center-xs middle-xs" data-provider="twitter" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://twitter.com/britannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="Twitter"><span>Twitter</span></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="grid no-gutter"> <div class="md-toc-panel"> <div class="md-toc lh-md"> <ul data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope">Introduction</a></li><li data-target="#ref48249"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/The-discovery-of-isotopes">The discovery of isotopes</a></li><li data-target="#ref48250"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/The-discovery-of-isotopes#ref48250">Nuclear stability</a></li><li data-target="#ref48251"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/The-discovery-of-isotopes#ref48251">Radioactive isotopes</a></li><li data-target="#ref48252"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/Elemental-and-isotopic-abundances">Elemental and isotopic abundances</a></li><li data-target="#ref48253"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/Variations-in-isotopic-abundances">Variations in isotopic abundances</a><ul data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref48254"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/Variations-in-isotopic-abundances#ref48254">Radioactive decay</a></li></ul><ul data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref48255"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/Variations-in-isotopic-abundances#ref48255">Mass fractionation</a></li></ul><ul data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref48256"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/Variations-in-isotopic-abundances#ref48256">Other causes of isotopic abundance variations</a></li></ul></li><li data-target="#ref48257"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/Variations-in-isotopic-abundances#ref48257">Physical properties associated with isotopes</a></li><li data-target="#ref48258"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/Variations-in-isotopic-abundances#ref48258">Effect of isotopes on atomic and molecular spectra</a><ul data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref48259"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/Molecular-vibrations">Molecular vibrations</a></li></ul><ul data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref48260"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/Molecular-vibrations#ref48260">Importance in the study of polyatomic molecules</a></li></ul></li><li data-target="#ref48261"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/Molecular-vibrations#ref48261">Chemical effects of isotopic substitution</a></li><li data-target="#ref48262"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/Molecular-vibrations#ref48262">Effect of isotopic substitution on reaction rates</a></li><li data-target="#ref48263"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/Isotope-separation-and-enrichment">Isotope separation and enrichment</a><ul data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref48264"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/Isotope-separation-and-enrichment#ref48264">Mass spectrometry</a></li></ul><ul data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref48265"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/Isotope-separation-and-enrichment#ref48265">Distillation</a></li></ul><ul data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref48266"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/Isotope-separation-and-enrichment#ref48266">Chemical exchange reactions</a></li></ul><ul data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref48267"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/Isotope-separation-and-enrichment#ref48267">Gaseous diffusion</a></li></ul><ul data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref48268"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/Isotope-separation-and-enrichment#ref48268">Gas centrifugation</a></li></ul><ul data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref48269"><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope/Isotope-separation-and-enrichment#ref48269">Photochemical enrichment methods</a></li></ul></li></ul></div> </div> <div class="grid-xs"> <div class="infinite-pagination-container container"> <h1>Isotope</h1> <div class="topic-identifier">chemistry</div> <div class="md-byline"> <div class="written-by"> <span>Written By: </span> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/contributor/Gregory-F-Herzog/3392">Gregory F. Herzog</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="last-updated"> <span>Last Updated: </span> <time datetime="2020-04-09"> Apr 9, 2020</time> <a data-type="accordion-link" href="#accordion-article-history" rel="nofollow">See Article History</a> </div></div> <div class="grid gutter-right"> <div class="grid-sm pr-lg-60"> <!--[BEFORE-ARTICLE]--><span class="marker before-article"></span><section id="ref1" data-level="1"><p><strong><span id="ref496298"></span>Isotope</strong>, one of two or more species of <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/atom" class="md-crosslink">atoms</a> of a <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/chemical-element" class="md-crosslink autoxref">chemical element</a> with the same <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/atomic-number" class="md-crosslink">atomic number</a> and position in the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/periodic-table" class="md-crosslink">periodic table</a> and nearly identical chemical behaviour but with different <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/atomic-mass" class="md-crosslink">atomic masses</a> and physical properties. Every chemical element has one or more isotopes.</p><!--[P1]--><span class="marker p1"></span><!--[AM1]--><span class="marker AM1 am-inline"></span><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><p>An <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/atom" class="md-crosslink autoxref">atom</a> is first identified and labeled according to the number of <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/proton-subatomic-particle" class="md-crosslink">protons</a> in its nucleus. This <span id="ref496299"></span><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/atomic-number" class="md-crosslink">atomic number</a> is ordinarily given the symbol <em>Z</em>. The great importance of the atomic number derives from the observation that all atoms with the same atomic number have nearly, if not precisely, identical chemical properties. A large collection of atoms with the same atomic number <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constitutes" class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off" data-term="constitutes">constitutes</a> a sample of an element. A bar of pure <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/uranium" class="md-crosslink">uranium</a>, for instance, would consist entirely of atoms with atomic number 92. The periodic table of the elements assigns one place to every atomic number, and each of these places is labeled with the common name of the element, as, for example, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/calcium" class="md-crosslink">calcium</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/radon" class="md-crosslink">radon</a>, or uranium.<span class="inline-youtube-video d-print-none"><iframe class="" width="560" height="315" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434if_/https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/8_C5Au1pr6w?rel=0"></iframe></span></p><!--[P2]--><span class="marker p2"></span><!--[AM2]--><span class="marker AM2 am-inline"></span><!--[MOD2]--><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><p>Not all the atoms of an element need have the same number of <span id="ref496300"></span><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/neutron" class="md-crosslink">neutrons</a> in their nuclei. In fact, it is precisely the variation in the number of neutrons in the nuclei of atoms that gives rise to isotopes. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/hydrogen" class="md-crosslink">Hydrogen</a> is a case in point. It has the atomic number 1. Three nuclei with one proton are known that contain 0, 1, and 2 neutrons, respectively. The three share the place in the periodic table assigned to atomic number 1 and hence are called isotopes (from the Greek <em>isos</em>, meaning “same,” and <em>topos</em>, signifying “place”) of hydrogen.</p><!--[P3]--><span class="marker p3"></span><!--[AM3]--><span class="marker AM3 am-inline"></span><!--[MOD3]--><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span><p>Many important properties of an isotope depend on its mass. The total number of neutrons and protons (symbol <em>A</em>), or <span id="ref496301"></span><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/mass-number" class="md-crosslink">mass number</a>, of the nucleus gives approximately the mass measured on the so-called atomic-mass-unit (amu) scale. The numerical difference between the actual measured mass of an isotope and <em>A</em> is called either the mass excess or the <span id="ref496302"></span><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/mass-defect" class="md-crosslink">mass defect</a> (symbol Δ; <em>see</em> <span id="ref1243"></span>table).</p><!--[P4]--><span class="marker p4"></span><!--[AM4]--><span class="marker AM4 am-inline"></span><div class="marketing-INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION"><div class="inline-subscription mb-30 mx-sm-20 font-16 text-center"> Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://subscription.britannica.com/subscribe?partnerCode=BP_House_USD_A" class="cta">Subscribe today</a> </div></div><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span><span class="md-raw-html"><div class="md-drag md-table-wrapper"><table class=""> <caption class="">Abundances of the isotopes</caption> <thead class=""> <tr> <th scope="col">element</th> <th scope="col">Z</th> <th scope="col">symbol</th> <th scope="col">A</th> <th scope="col">abundance</th> <th scope="col">mass excess</th> </tr> </thead> <tfoot class=""> <tr> <td colspan="6">Sources: G. Audi and A.H. Wapstra, "The 1995 Update to Atomic Mass Evaluation," Nuclear Physics, A595:409–480 (1995); K.J.R. Rosman and P.D.P. Taylor, "Isotopic Compositions of the Elements 1997," J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data, 27:1275–85 (1995).</td> </tr> </tfoot> <tbody class=""> <tr class="has-rs"> <td rowspan="" scope="row">hydrogen</td> <td>1</td> <td>H</td> <td>1</td> <td>99.9885</td> <td>7.289</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>2</td> <td>0.0151</td> <td>13.136</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">helium</td> <td>2</td> <td>He</td> <td>3</td> <td>0.000138</td> <td>14.931</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>4</td> <td>99.999863</td> <td>2.425</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">lithium</td> <td>3</td> <td>Li</td> <td>6</td> <td>7.59</td> <td>14.086</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>7</td> <td>92.41</td> <td>14.908</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">beryllium</td> <td>4</td> <td>Be</td> <td>9</td> <td>100</td> <td>11.348</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">boron</td> <td>5</td> <td>B</td> <td>10</td> <td>19.9</td> <td>12.051</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>11</td> <td>80.1</td> <td>8.668</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">carbon</td> <td>6</td> <td>C</td> <td>12</td> <td>98.93</td> <td>0</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>13</td> <td>1.07</td> <td>3.125</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">nitrogen</td> <td>7</td> <td>N</td> <td>14</td> <td>99.632</td> <td>2.863</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>15</td> <td>0.368</td> <td>0.101</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">oxygen</td> <td>8</td> <td>O</td> <td>16</td> <td>99.757</td> <td>−4.737</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>17</td> <td>0.038</td> <td>−0.809</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>18</td> <td>0.205</td> <td>−0.782</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">fluorine</td> <td>9</td> <td>F</td> <td>19</td> <td>100</td> <td>−1.487</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">neon</td> <td>10</td> <td>Ne</td> <td>20</td> <td>90.48</td> <td>−7.042</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>21</td> <td>0.27</td> <td>−5.732</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>22</td> <td>9.25</td> <td>−8.024</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">sodium</td> <td>11</td> <td>Na</td> <td>23</td> <td>100</td> <td>−9.529</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">magnesium</td> <td>12</td> <td>Mg</td> <td>24</td> <td>78.99</td> <td>−13.933</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>25</td> <td>10.00</td> <td>−13.193</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>26</td> <td>11.01</td> <td>−16.214</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">aluminum</td> <td>13</td> <td>Al</td> <td>27</td> <td>100</td> <td>−17.197</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">silicon</td> <td>14</td> <td>Si</td> <td>28</td> <td>92.2297</td> <td>−21.493</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>29</td> <td>4.6832</td> <td>−21.895</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>30</td> <td>3.0872</td> <td>−24.433</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">phosphorus</td> <td>15</td> <td>P</td> <td>31</td> <td>100</td> <td>−24.441</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">sulfur</td> <td>16</td> <td>S</td> <td>32</td> <td>94.93</td> <td>−26.016</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>33</td> <td>0.76</td> <td>−26.586</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>34</td> <td>4.29</td> <td>−29.932</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>36</td> <td>0.02</td> <td>−30.664</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">chlorine</td> <td>17</td> <td>Cl</td> <td>35</td> <td>75.78</td> <td>−29.014</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>37</td> <td>24.22</td> <td>−31.762</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">argon</td> <td>18</td> <td>Ar</td> <td>36</td> <td>0.3365</td> <td>−30.230</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>38</td> <td>0.0632</td> <td>−34.715</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>40</td> <td>99.6003</td> <td>−35.040</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">potassium</td> <td>19</td> <td>K</td> <td>39</td> <td>93.2581</td> <td>−33.807</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>40</td> <td>0.0117</td> <td>−33.535</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>41</td> <td>6.7302</td> <td>−35.559</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">calcium</td> <td>20</td> <td>Ca</td> <td>40</td> <td>96.941</td> <td>−34.846</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>42</td> <td>0.647</td> <td>−38.547</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>43</td> <td>0.135</td> <td>−38.408</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>44</td> <td>2.086</td> <td>−41.469</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>46</td> <td>0.004</td> <td>−43.135</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>48</td> <td>0.187</td> <td>−44.215</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">scandium</td> <td>21</td> <td>Sc</td> <td>45</td> <td>100</td> <td>−41.069</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">titanium</td> <td>22</td> <td>Ti</td> <td>46</td> <td>8.25</td> <td>−44.125</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>47</td> <td>7.44</td> <td>−44.932</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>48</td> <td>73.72</td> <td>−48.487</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>49</td> <td>5.41</td> <td>−48.558</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>50</td> <td>5.18</td> <td>−51.426</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">vanadium</td> <td>23</td> <td>V</td> <td>50</td> <td>0.250</td> <td>−49.218</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>51</td> <td>99.750</td> <td>−52.198</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">chromium</td> <td>24</td> <td>Cr</td> <td>50</td> <td>4.345</td> <td>−50.254</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>52</td> <td>83.789</td> <td>−55.413</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>53</td> <td>9.501</td> <td>−55.281</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>54</td> <td>2.365</td> <td>−56.928</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">manganese</td> <td>25</td> <td>Mn</td> <td>55</td> <td>100</td> <td>−57.706</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">iron</td> <td>26</td> <td>Fe</td> <td>54</td> <td>5.845</td> <td>−56.248</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>56</td> <td>91.754</td> <td>−60.601</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>57</td> <td>2.119</td> <td>−60.176</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>58</td> <td>0.282</td> <td>−62.149</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">cobalt</td> <td>27</td> <td>Co</td> <td>59</td> <td>100</td> <td>−62.224</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">nickel</td> <td>28</td> <td>Ni</td> <td>58</td> <td>68.0769</td> <td>−60.223</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>60</td> <td>26.2231</td> <td>−64.468</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>61</td> <td>1.1399</td> <td>−64.217</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>62</td> <td>3.6345</td> <td>−66.743</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>64</td> <td>0.9256</td> <td>−67.096</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">copper</td> <td>29</td> <td>Cu</td> <td>63</td> <td>69.17</td> <td>−65.576</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>65</td> <td>30.83</td> <td>−67.260</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">zinc</td> <td>30</td> <td>Zn</td> <td>64</td> <td>48.63</td> <td>−66.000</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>66</td> <td>27.90</td> <td>−68.896</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>67</td> <td>4.10</td> <td>−67.877</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>68</td> <td>18.75</td> <td>−70.004</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>70</td> <td>0.62</td> <td>−69.559</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">gallium</td> <td>31</td> <td>Ga</td> <td>69</td> <td>60.108</td> <td>−69.321</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>71</td> <td>39.892</td> <td>−70.137</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">germanium</td> <td>32</td> <td>Ge</td> <td>70</td> <td>20.84</td> <td>−70.560</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>72</td> <td>27.54</td> <td>−72.586</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>73</td> <td>7.73</td> <td>−71.299</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>74</td> <td>36.28</td> <td>−73.422</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>76</td> <td>7.61</td> <td>−73.213</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">arsenic</td> <td>33</td> <td>As</td> <td>75</td> <td>100</td> <td>−73.032</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">selenium</td> <td>34</td> <td>Se</td> <td>74</td> <td>0.89</td> <td>−72.213</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>76</td> <td>9.37</td> <td>−75.252</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>77</td> <td>7.63</td> <td>−74.599</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>78</td> <td>23.77</td> <td>−77.026</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>80</td> <td>49.61</td> <td>−77.759</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>82</td> <td>8.73</td> <td>−77.593</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">bromine</td> <td>35</td> <td>Br</td> <td>79</td> <td>50.69</td> <td>−76.068</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>81</td> <td>49.31</td> <td>−77.974</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">krypton</td> <td>36</td> <td>Kr</td> <td>78</td> <td>0.35</td> <td>−74.160</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>80</td> <td>2.28</td> <td>−77.893</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>82</td> <td>11.58</td> <td>−80.589</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>83</td> <td>11.49</td> <td>−79.982</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>84</td> <td>57.00</td> <td>−82.431</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>86</td> <td>17.30</td> <td>−83.266</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">rubidium</td> <td>37</td> <td>Rb</td> <td>85</td> <td>72.17</td> <td>−82.168</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>87</td> <td>27.83</td> <td>−84.595</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">strontium</td> <td>38</td> <td>Sr</td> <td>84</td> <td>0.56</td> <td>−80.644</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>86</td> <td>9.86</td> <td>−84.522</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>87</td> <td>7.00</td> <td>−84.878</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>88</td> <td>82.58</td> <td>−87.920</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">yttrium</td> <td>39</td> <td>Y</td> <td>89</td> <td>100</td> <td>−87.702</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">zirconium</td> <td>40</td> <td>Zr</td> <td>90</td> <td>51.45</td> <td>−88.768</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>91</td> <td>11.22</td> <td>−87.891</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>92</td> <td>17.15</td> <td>−88.455</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>94</td> <td>17.38</td> <td>−87.266</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>96</td> <td>2.80</td> <td>−85.441</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">niobium</td> <td>41</td> <td>Nb</td> <td>93</td> <td>100</td> <td>−87.209</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">molybdenum</td> <td>42</td> <td>Mo</td> <td>92</td> <td>14.84</td> <td>−86.805</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>94</td> <td>9.25</td> <td>−88.410</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>95</td> <td>15.92</td> <td>−87.708</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>96</td> <td>16.68</td> <td>−88.791</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>97</td> <td>9.55</td> <td>−87.541</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>98</td> <td>24.13</td> <td>−88.112</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>100</td> <td>9.63</td> <td>−86.184</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">ruthenium</td> <td>44</td> <td>Ru</td> <td>96</td> <td>5.54</td> <td>−86.072</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>98</td> <td>1.87</td> <td>−88.224</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>99</td> <td>12.76</td> <td>−87.617</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>100</td> <td>12.60</td> <td>−89.219</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>101</td> <td>17.06</td> <td>−87.950</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>102</td> <td>31.55</td> <td>−89.098</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>104</td> <td>18.62</td> <td>−88.091</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">rhodium</td> <td>45</td> <td>Rh</td> <td>103</td> <td>100</td> <td>−88.022</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">palladium</td> <td>46</td> <td>Pd</td> <td>102</td> <td>1.020</td> <td>−87.926</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>104</td> <td>11.14</td> <td>−89.391</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>105</td> <td>22.33</td> <td>−88.414</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>106</td> <td>27.33</td> <td>−89.905</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>108</td> <td>26.46</td> <td>−89.522</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>110</td> <td>11.72</td> <td>−88.350</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">silver</td> <td>47</td> <td>Ag</td> <td>107</td> <td>51.8392</td> <td>−88.405</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>109</td> <td>48.1608</td> <td>−88.720</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">cadmium</td> <td>48</td> <td>Cd</td> <td>106</td> <td>1.25</td> <td>−87.134</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>108</td> <td>0.89</td> <td>−89.253</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>110</td> <td>12.49</td> <td>−90.350</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>111</td> <td>12.80</td> <td>−89.254</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>112</td> <td>24.13</td> <td>−90.581</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>113</td> <td>12.22</td> <td>−89.050</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>114</td> <td>28.73</td> <td>−90.021</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>116</td> <td>7.49</td> <td>−88.720</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">indium</td> <td>49</td> <td>In</td> <td>113</td> <td>4.288</td> <td>−89.366</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>115</td> <td>95.712</td> <td>−89.537</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">tin</td> <td>50</td> <td>Sn</td> <td>112</td> <td>0.973</td> <td>−88.659</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>114</td> <td>0.659</td> <td>−90.558</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>115</td> <td>0.339</td> <td>−90.033</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>116</td> <td>14.536</td> <td>−91.525</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>117</td> <td>7.676</td> <td>−90.398</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>118</td> <td>24.223</td> <td>−91.653</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>119</td> <td>8.585</td> <td>−90.067</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>120</td> <td>32.593</td> <td>−91.103</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>122</td> <td>4.629</td> <td>−89.944</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>124</td> <td>5.789</td> <td>−88.236</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">antimony</td> <td>51</td> <td>Sb</td> <td>121</td> <td>57.213</td> <td>−89.593</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>123</td> <td>42.787</td> <td>−89.222</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">tellurium</td> <td>52</td> <td>Te</td> <td>120</td> <td>0.096</td> <td>−89.405</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>122</td> <td>2.603</td> <td>−90.311</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>123</td> <td>0.908</td> <td>−89.169</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>124</td> <td>4.816</td> <td>−90.523</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>125</td> <td>7.139</td> <td>−89.028</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>126</td> <td>18.952</td> <td>−90.070</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>128</td> <td>31.687</td> <td>−88.994</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>130</td> <td>33.799</td> <td>−87.353</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">iodine</td> <td>53</td> <td>I</td> <td>127</td> <td>100</td> <td>−88.987</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">xenon</td> <td>54</td> <td>Xe</td> <td>124</td> <td>0.08913</td> <td>−87.658</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>126</td> <td>0.08880</td> <td>−89.173</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>128</td> <td>1.91732</td> <td>−89.861</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>129</td> <td>26.43964</td> <td>−89.697</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>130</td> <td>4.08271</td> <td>−89.881</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>131</td> <td>21.17961</td> <td>−88.416</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>132</td> <td>26.89157</td> <td>−89.280</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>134</td> <td>10.44232</td> <td>−88.124</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>136</td> <td>8.86590</td> <td>−86.424</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">cesium</td> <td>55</td> <td>Cs</td> <td>133</td> <td>100</td> <td>−88.076</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">barium</td> <td>56</td> <td>Ba</td> <td>130</td> <td>0.1058</td> <td>−87.271</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>132</td> <td>0.1012</td> <td>−88.440</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>134</td> <td>2.417</td> <td>−88.954</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>135</td> <td>6.592</td> <td>−87.856</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>136</td> <td>7.853</td> <td>−88.892</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>137</td> <td>11.232</td> <td>−87.727</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>138</td> <td>71.699</td> <td>−88.267</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">lanthanum</td> <td>57</td> <td>La</td> <td>138</td> <td>0.09017</td> <td>−86.529</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>139</td> <td>99.91</td> <td>−87.236</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">cerium</td> <td>58</td> <td>Ce</td> <td>136</td> <td>0.186</td> <td>−86.500</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>138</td> <td>0.251</td> <td>−87.574</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>140</td> <td>88.449</td> <td>−88.088</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>142</td> <td>11.114</td> <td>−84.543</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">praseodymium</td> <td>59</td> <td>Pr</td> <td>141</td> <td>100</td> <td>−86.026</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">neodymium</td> <td>60</td> <td>Nd</td> <td>142</td> <td>27.16</td> <td>−85.960</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>143</td> <td>12.18</td> <td>−84.012</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>144</td> <td>23.83</td> <td>−83.758</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>145</td> <td>8.30</td> <td>−81.442</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>146</td> <td>17.17</td> <td>−80.936</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>148</td> <td>5.74</td> <td>−77.418</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>150</td> <td>5.62</td> <td>−73.694</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">samarium</td> <td>62</td> <td>Sm</td> <td>144</td> <td>3.0734</td> <td>−81.976</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>147</td> <td>14.9934</td> <td>−79.276</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>148</td> <td>11.2406</td> <td>−79.347</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>149</td> <td>13.8189</td> <td>−77.147</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>150</td> <td>7.3796</td> <td>−77.061</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>152</td> <td>26.7421</td> <td>−74.773</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>154</td> <td>22.7520</td> <td>−72.465</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">europium</td> <td>63</td> <td>Eu</td> <td>151</td> <td>47.810</td> <td>−74.663</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>153</td> <td>52.190</td> <td>−73.377</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">gadolinium</td> <td>64</td> <td>Gd</td> <td>152</td> <td>0.2029</td> <td>−74.717</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>154</td> <td>2.1809</td> <td>−73.716</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>155</td> <td>14.7998</td> <td>−72.080</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>156</td> <td>20.4664</td> <td>−72.545</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>157</td> <td>15.6518</td> <td>−70.834</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>158</td> <td>24.8347</td> <td>−0.700</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>160</td> <td>21.8635</td> <td>−67.952</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">terbium</td> <td>65</td> <td>Tb</td> <td>159</td> <td>100</td> <td>−69.542</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">dysprosium</td> <td>66</td> <td>Dy</td> <td>156</td> <td>0.056</td> <td>−70.534</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>158</td> <td>0.096</td> <td>−70.417</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>160</td> <td>2.34</td> <td>−69.682</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>161</td> <td>18.91</td> <td>−68.065</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>162</td> <td>25.51</td> <td>−68.190</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>163</td> <td>24.90</td> <td>−66.390</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>164</td> <td>28.19</td> <td>−65.977</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">holmium</td> <td>67</td> <td>Ho</td> <td>165</td> <td>100</td> <td>−64.907</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">erbium</td> <td>68</td> <td>Er</td> <td>162</td> <td>0.137</td> <td>−66.346</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>164</td> <td>1.609</td> <td>−65.953</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>166</td> <td>33.61</td> <td>−64.934</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>167</td> <td>22.93</td> <td>−63.299</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>168</td> <td>26.79</td> <td>−62.999</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>170</td> <td>14.93</td> <td>−60.118</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">thulium</td> <td>69</td> <td>Tm</td> <td>169</td> <td>100</td> <td>−61.282</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">ytterbium</td> <td>70</td> <td>Yb</td> <td>168</td> <td>0.127</td> <td>−61.577</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>170</td> <td>3.04</td> <td>−60.772</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>171</td> <td>14.28</td> <td>−59.315</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>172</td> <td>21.83</td> <td>−59.264</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>173</td> <td>16.13</td> <td>−57.560</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>174</td> <td>31.83</td> <td>−56.953</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>176</td> <td>12.76</td> <td>−53.497</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">lutetium</td> <td>71</td> <td>Lu</td> <td>175</td> <td>97.416</td> <td>−55.174</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>176</td> <td>2.584</td> <td>−53.391</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">hafnium</td> <td>72</td> <td>Hf</td> <td>174</td> <td>0.1620</td> <td>−55.852</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>176</td> <td>5.604</td> <td>−54.584</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>177</td> <td>18.5953</td> <td>−52.890</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>178</td> <td>27.811</td> <td>−52.445</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>179</td> <td>13.6210</td> <td>−50.473</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>180</td> <td>35.0802</td> <td>−49.790</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">tantalum</td> <td>73</td> <td>Ta</td> <td>180</td> <td>0.0123</td> <td>−48.935</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>181</td> <td>99.9877</td> <td>−48.441</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">tungsten</td> <td>74</td> <td>W</td> <td>180</td> <td>0.1198</td> <td>−49.643</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>182</td> <td>26.4985</td> <td>−48.246</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>183</td> <td>14.3136</td> <td>−46.366</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>184</td> <td>30.6422</td> <td>−45.706</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>186</td> <td>28.4259</td> <td>−42.511</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">rhenium</td> <td>75</td> <td>Re</td> <td>185</td> <td>37.398</td> <td>−43.821</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>187</td> <td>62.602</td> <td>−41.218</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">osmium</td> <td>76</td> <td>Os</td> <td>184</td> <td>0.0197</td> <td>−44.254</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>186</td> <td>1.5859</td> <td>−42.999</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>187</td> <td>1.9644</td> <td>−41.220</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>188</td> <td>13.2434</td> <td>−41.138</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>189</td> <td>16.1466</td> <td>−38.988</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>190</td> <td>26.2584</td> <td>−38.708</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>192</td> <td>40.7815</td> <td>−35.882</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">iridium</td> <td>77</td> <td>Ir</td> <td>191</td> <td>37.272</td> <td>−36.709</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>193</td> <td>62.728</td> <td>−34.536</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">platinum</td> <td>78</td> <td>Pt</td> <td>190</td> <td>0.013634</td> <td>−37.325</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>192</td> <td>0.782659</td> <td>−36.296</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>194</td> <td>32.96700</td> <td>−34.779</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>195</td> <td>33.831557</td> <td>−32.812</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>196</td> <td>25.24166</td> <td>−32.663</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>198</td> <td>7.16349</td> <td>−29.923</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">gold</td> <td>79</td> <td>Au</td> <td>197</td> <td>100</td> <td>−31.157</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">mercury</td> <td>80</td> <td>Hg</td> <td>196</td> <td>0.15344</td> <td>−31.843</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>198</td> <td>9.968</td> <td>−30.970</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>199</td> <td>16.873</td> <td>−29.563</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>200</td> <td>23.096</td> <td>−29.520</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>201</td> <td>13.181</td> <td>−27.679</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>202</td> <td>29.863</td> <td>−27.362</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>204</td> <td>6.865</td> <td>−24.707</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">thallium</td> <td>81</td> <td>Tl</td> <td>203</td> <td>29.524</td> <td>−25.775</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>205</td> <td>70.476</td> <td>−23.834</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">lead</td> <td>82</td> <td>Pb</td> <td>204</td> <td>1.4245</td> <td>−25.123</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>206</td> <td>24.1447</td> <td>−23.801</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>207</td> <td>22.0827</td> <td>−22.467</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>208</td> <td>52.3481</td> <td>−21.764</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">bismuth</td> <td>83</td> <td>Bi</td> <td>209</td> <td>100</td> <td>−18.273</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">thorium</td> <td>90</td> <td>Th</td> <td>232</td> <td>100</td> <td>35.444</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row">uranium</td> <td>92</td> <td>U</td> <td>234</td> <td>0.00548</td> <td>38.141</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>235</td> <td>0.7200</td> <td>40.914</td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>238</td> <td>99.2745</td> <td>47.304</td> </tr> </tbody> </table></div> </span><p>The specification of <em>Z</em>, <em>A</em>, and the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/chemical-symbol" class="md-crosslink autoxref">chemical symbol</a> (a one- or two-letter abbreviation of the element’s name, say Sy) in the form <sup><em>A</em></sup><sub><em>Z</em></sub>Sy identifies an isotope adequately for most purposes. Thus, in the standard notation, <sup>1</sup><sub>1</sub>H refers to the simplest isotope of hydrogen and <sup>235</sup><sub>92</sub>U to an isotope of uranium widely used for <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/technology/nuclear-power" class="md-crosslink autoxref">nuclear power</a> generation and nuclear weapons fabrication. (Authors who do not wish to use symbols sometimes write out the element name and mass number—hydrogen-1 and uranium-235 in the examples above.)</p><!--[P5]--><span class="marker p5"></span><!--[AM5]--><span class="marker AM5 am-inline"></span><!--[MOD5]--><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span><p>The term <span id="ref496303"></span><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/nuclide" class="md-crosslink"><em>nuclide</em></a> is used to describe particular isotopes, notably in cases where the nuclear rather than the chemical properties of an atom are to be emphasized. The lexicon of isotopes includes three other frequently used terms: <span id="ref496304"></span><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotone" class="md-crosslink"><em>isotones</em></a> for isotopes of different elements with the same number of neutrons, <span id="ref496305"></span><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isobar-nuclear-physics" class="md-crosslink"><em>isobars</em></a> for isotopes of different elements with the same mass number, and <span id="ref496306"></span><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isomer-nuclear-physics" class="md-crosslink"><em>isomers</em></a> for isotopes identical in all respects except for the total energy content of the nuclei.</p><!--[P6]--><span class="marker p6"></span><!--[AM6]--><span class="marker AM6 am-inline"></span><!--[MOD6]--><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span></section> <!--[END-OF-CONTENT]--><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><!--[AFTER-ARTICLE]--><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <aside class="grid-xs-da-300" data-page="1"> <div class="rr-module rr-module-1"> <div class="marketing-RIGHT_RAIL_MODULE marketing-content" data-marketing-id="RIGHT_RAIL_MODULE"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://parents.britannica.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434im_/https://safe.britannica.com/safeimages/BFP_marketing_ads_300x90_C.jpg" alt="Learn More!" class="mb-30"/> </a></div></div> <div class="rr-module rr-module-2"> <!--[AD1]--> <div class="md-events-box md-content-module-right imars-xml-OTHER_INFO"> <div class="fact-box"> <div class="title">Isotope</div> <div class="subtitle">Quick Facts</div> <div class="fact-box-details md-striped"> <dl data-label="key people"><dt class="fact-list">key people</dt><dd><ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francis-William-Aston">Francis William Aston</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Frederick-Soddy">Frederick Soddy</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Theodore-William-Richards">Theodore William Richards</a></li></ul></dd></dl> <dl data-label="related topics"><dt class="fact-list">related topics</dt><dd><ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/chemical-element">Chemical element</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/atom">Atom</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/transuranium-element">Transuranium element</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/isotopic-fractionation">Isotopic fractionation</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/deuterium">Deuterium</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/radioactive-isotope">Radioactive isotope</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/nuclide">Nuclide</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/tritium">Tritium</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/protium-isotope">Protium</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/science/neptunium-239">Neptunium-239</a></li></ul></dd></dl></div> </div> </div> </div> </aside> </div></div> <div class="infinite-pagination-button grid no-gutter"> <div class="grid-sm grid-xs-100"> <div class="js-load-next-container center-xs my-25"> <button class="js-load-next md-button md-primary layout-column text-uppercase pb-0 px-100"> Load Next Page <em class="material-icons md-36" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_down"></em> </button> <em class="material-icons js-loading-spinner ui-spin middle-xs center-xs text-blue font-36 d-none" data-icon="brightness_low"></em> </div> </div> <div class="grid-sm-da-300"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-additional-info-modal p-10"> <div class="header p-15"> <div class="font-18 lh-lg">Isotope</div> <div class="text-uppercase font-13">Additional Information</div> </div> <div class="body px-15 pb-25"> <div class="blue-border mt-25"> <div class="md-info-accordion"> <h2 class="md-accordion-item-title no-ad sticky-events" id="accordion-more-about" data-additional-content-id="11"> <a href="#" data-url="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/ajax/topic/296583/additional-content/11">More About</a> </h2> <div class="md-accordion-item-content content accordion-additional-content"> </div> <h2 class="md-accordion-item-title no-ad sticky-events" id="accordion-additional-reading" data-additional-content-id="4"> <a href="#" data-url="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/ajax/topic/296583/additional-content/4">Additional Reading</a> </h2> <div class="md-accordion-item-content content accordion-additional-content"> </div> <h2 class="md-accordion-item-title no-ad sticky-events" id="accordion-external-websites"> <a href="#">External Websites</a> </h2> <div class="md-accordion-item-content content accordion-websites md-loaded"> <div class="md-websites-ebk-title">Britannica Websites</div> <div class="md-websites-ebk-subtitle">Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.</div> <ul class="bps-topic-web-sites"> <li><a class="external" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/isotope/628327" target="_blank" rel="noopener">isotope - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)</a></li> </ul> </div> <h2 class="md-accordion-item-title no-ad sticky-events" id="accordion-article-history"> <a href="#" data-url="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/ajax/topic/296583/history">Article History</a> </h2> <div class="md-accordion-item-content content accordion-history"> </div> <h2 class="md-accordion-item-title no-ad sticky-events" id="accordion-article-contributors"> <a href="#" data-url="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/ajax/topic/296583/contributors">Article Contributors</a> </h2> <div class="md-accordion-item-content content accordion-contributors"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> <button class="js-load-next-article md-button md-primary layout-column text-uppercase pb-0 px-100 my-50 mx-auto"> Load Next Article <em class="material-icons md-36" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_down"></em> </button> <em class="material-icons js-loading-article-spinner ui-spin middle-xs center-xs text-blue font-36 d-none my-50" data-icon="brightness_low"></em> <div class="infinite-end p-5 text-center bg-green text-white d-none"> <em class="material-icons" data-icon="check"></em> </div></div> </div> </main> <footer id="md-footer" class="footer-wrapper hide-on-edit"> <div class="footer-bck"> <div class="marketing-FOOTER_NEWSLETTER marketing-content" data-marketing-id="FOOTER_NEWSLETTER"><div class="md-footer-newsletter-form pt-10 mb-30 mx-15 mx-sm-120"> <div class="font-18"> <strong>Inspire your inbox –</strong> Sign up for daily fun facts about this day in history, updates, and special offers. </div> <div class="p-30"> <div class="newsletter-form-container"> <form class="newsletter-form" method="post" action="/web/20200509141434/https://www.britannica.com/newsletter-subscription/EB_ON_THIS_DAY"> <div class="form-group grid no-gutter center-xs"> <div class="grid-sm-50 grid-xs-100"> <label class="sr-only" for="enter-your-email">Enter your email</label> <input id="enter-your-email" type="email" name="email" class="form-control font-18 p-10" placeholder="Enter your email" pattern="[a-z0-9._%+-]+@[a-z0-9.-]+\.[a-z]{2,4}$" required> </div> <div class="grid-sm-shrink grid-xs-100 mt-5 mt-sm-0 ml-sm-5"> <input type="submit" class="md-button md-outline md-light" style="width: 100%; height:100%;" value="SUBSCRIBE"/> </div> </div> <div class="text-white pt-30 text-opacity"> By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.<br> Click here to view our <a class="text-white text-underscore" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://corporate.britannica.com/privacy-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Privacy Notice</a>. Easy unsubscribe links are provided in every email. </div> <input type="hidden" name="source" value="Footer"/><input type="hidden" name="campaign" value="Mendel"/><input type="hidden" name="medium" value="Box"/></form> <div class="md-subscribed hidden text-white"> <div class="my-10">Thank you for subscribing!</div> <div>Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox.</div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="md-social-toolbar-circle center-xs colored" data-value="connect"> <div class="share-label hidden-xs">Stay Connected</div> <a class="ui-icon-facebook center-xs middle-xs" data-provider="facebook" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="Facebook"><span>Facebook</span></a> <a class="ui-icon-twitter center-xs middle-xs" data-provider="twitter" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://twitter.com/britannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="Twitter"><span>Twitter</span></a> <a class="ui-icon-youtube-play center-xs middle-xs" data-provider="youtube" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.youtube.com/c/encyclopaediabritannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="YouTube"><span>YouTube</span></a> <a class="ui-icon-instagram center-xs middle-xs" data-provider="instagram" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.instagram.com/britannica/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="Instagram"><span>Instagram</span></a> <a class="ui-icon-pinterest center-xs middle-xs" data-provider="pinterest" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://www.pinterest.com/britannica/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="Pinterest"><span>Pinterest</span></a> <a class="ui-icon center-xs middle-xs" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://cloud.email.britannica.com/PreferenceCenter" title="Newsletters" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Newsletters"> <em class="material-icons" data-icon="drafts"><span>Newsletters</span></em> </a> </div> <br/> <div class="container"> <ul class="legal-links"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://corporate.britannica.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">About Us & Legal Info</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://corporate.britannica.com/publishing-partner-program/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Partner Program</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://corporate.britannica.com/contact/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Contact Us</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://corporate.britannica.com/privacy-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Privacy Notice</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://corporate.britannica.com/termsofuse.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Terms of Use</a></li> </ul> <div class="mt-20">©2020 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.</div> </div> </div> </footer> <div id="ccpa-modal"> <div class="md-modal-body"> Your preference has been recorded </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> __$.setDebug( true ); __AD.contentLoadInit(); </script> <div id="loginbox-dialog" class="ui-hidden"> <div class="mobile-loginbox-dialog-close"> <em class="material-icons p-10" data-icon="close"></em> </div> <div id="loginbox-dialog-iframe-container"></div> </div><noscript><iframe src="//web.archive.org/web/20200509141434if_/https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script> <div class="marketing-SLIDER marketing-slider" data-marketing-id="SLIDER" data-name="SLIDER" data-duration="14"><button class="close-btn material-icons p-10">close</button><style> .marketing-slider .close-btn { color: white; } .marketing-slider .preview { background-color: #ff9115 ; color: white; } .marketing-slider .preview .orange-circle { height: 250px; position: absolute; width: 70px; background-image: url('https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434im_/https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/marketing/thistle-white.svg'); background-position: -85px 0px; background-size: 150px; background-repeat: no-repeat; left: 0; top: 8px; opacity: 0.5; } .marketing-slider .offer .md-button-gradient { font-size: 12px; background:#F87307; } </style> <div class="preview"> <div class="p-15 pl-70"> Check out Britannica's new site for parents! <div class="orange-circle end-xs middle-xs"></div> </div> </div><div class="offer"> <div> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://parents.britannica.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434im_/https://safe.britannica.com/safeimages/BFP_marketing_ads_slider.jpg" alt="Subscribe Today!"/> </a> </div> </div></div><script src="/web/20200509141434js_/https://www.britannica.com/resources/js/libs/jquery-3.4.1.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434js_/https://a.optmnstr.com/app/js/api.min.js" data-account="62791" data-user="55795" async defer></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20200509141434js_/https://www.britannica.com/resources/js/libs/prebid3.15.0.js" async="async"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> window.pbjs = window.pbjs || {}; pbjs.que = pbjs.que || []; </script> <script src="//web.archive.org/web/20200509141434js_/https://content.jwplatform.com/libraries/RVHVXRYp.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '/resources/dist/topic-page.js?v=ad-refactor.22' }); })(); </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141434js_/https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=UA-6636134-11" async="async"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> function gaPageLoad(pathname, documentLocation) { pathname = pathname || location.pathname; documentLocation = documentLocation || document.querySelector('html').getAttribute('data-ytrk-page'); if (documentLocation) { documentLocation = documentLocation.replace(/ /g, '/'); window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag() { dataLayer.push(arguments); } gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('set', { 'dimension1': 'ANONYMOUS', 'dimension2': 'A', }); gtag('config', 'UA-6636134-11', { 'page_path': documentLocation + pathname + decodeURI(location.search), 'link_attribution': true, }); } } gaPageLoad(); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//web.archive.org/web/20200509141434/https://britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> </body> </html><!-- FILE ARCHIVED ON 14:14:34 May 09, 2020 AND RETRIEVED FROM THE INTERNET ARCHIVE ON 02:05:55 Nov 24, 2024. JAVASCRIPT APPENDED BY WAYBACK MACHINE, COPYRIGHT INTERNET ARCHIVE. ALL OTHER CONTENT MAY ALSO BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT (17 U.S.C. SECTION 108(a)(3)). --> <!-- playback timings (ms): captures_list: 0.64 exclusion.robots: 0.047 exclusion.robots.policy: 0.032 esindex: 0.012 cdx.remote: 12.867 LoadShardBlock: 225.499 (3) PetaboxLoader3.datanode: 112.329 (4) PetaboxLoader3.resolve: 277.469 (2) load_resource: 183.801 -->