An isotope is two or more forms of the same element that contain equal numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons. Remember: the protons and neutrons are located in the nucleus, the interior center of an atom. Because of the proton frequencies in isotopes, the atomic mass of an isotope will be different from the original element. Its chemical properties, however, will stay the same. (The definition of a chemical property is: A chemical property is any of a material’s properties that becomes evident during, or after, a chemical reaction; that is, any quality that can be established only by changing a substance’s chemical identity. (wikipedia.com) Examples of chemical properties include flammability, toxicity, acidity, reactivity (many types), and heat of combustion. (https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/))
Isotopes are written by the name of a symbol of an element, followed by a hyphen, and the mass number. (The mass number is calculated by the number of protons and neutrons.) An example of an isotope notation is carbon-14, carbon being the element and 14 is the mass number.
Isotopes can also be written in the format “AZE”, A standing for the mass number, Z for the atomic mass, and E for the chemical element. Note: Atomics mass is calculated by the number of protons and the mass number is the number of neutrons and protons in the chemical element.
So, why is important to learn about isotopes? According to https://www.veryshortintroductions.com/, “Radioactive isotopes differ in the stability of their nuclei. Measuring the speed of decay allows scientists to date archaeological finds, and even the universe itself.” Information about the time of an archaeological find is almost essential to historians and other jobs. One example is that the use of an artifact can vary on the year it was used. “Table isotopes can be used to give a record of climate change. Isotopes are also commonly used in medical imaging and cancer treatment,” they add.
Fun Facts from http://(https://www.energy.gov/):
-Each element has at least one isotope; some have more than one
-Hydrogen is the only element whose isotopes have unique names: deuterium for hydrogen with one neutron and tritium for hydrogen with two neutrons
-There are two main types of isotopes: stable and unstable (radioactive)
-There are 254 known stable isotopes
I dont know what this is
Hmm, maybe this article will help you understand what an isotope is: http://skynotes.steveyan.com/introduction-to-atoms-nucleus-protons-neutrons-atomic-numbers-symbols-etc/