Varying Neutrons (Isotopes)

Frederick Soddy was a British chemist who made significant contributions to our understanding of radioactive decay and the nature of atoms. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1921 for his work on isotopes.

Soddy is perhaps best known for his discovery of the concept of isotopes, which are atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons. 

Isotopes are formed in a number of ways, 

• naturally through radioactive decay processes, (natural transmutations) in which an unstable atomic nucleus spontaneously breaks apart, emitting particles or radiation in the process. 

• formed through nuclear reactions, such as nuclear fission or fusion, in which atomic nuclei are split apart or combined to form new nuclei.

• through artificial means, (artificial transmutations) such as in particle accelerators or nuclear reactors 

It helped explain the phenomenon of radioactivity & laid the foundation for the development of nuclear physics and chemistry

The existence of isotopes violates the original idea of Dalton's atomic theory that "all atoms of a given element are identical in mass and properties."

Isotopes are stable when the forces holding the nucleus together are stronger than the forces trying to pull it apart. These forces depend on the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus and their arrangement.

A mass spectrograph, also known as a mass spectrometer, is a scientific instrument used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. It is a powerful analytical tool that can identify and quantify the components of a sample based on their molecular weight and other properties.

Isotopes of a given element are:

• always different in terms of their atomic mass, due to differences in the number of neutrons in their nuclei

• always the same in terms of the number of protons, which determines their atomic number and chemical properties.