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Isotopes

Definition:

Atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons (same atomic number) but different numbers of neutrons (different atomic masses).

Isotopes have the same chemical properties but have different physical and nuclear properties.

Examples of isotopes are plutonium-238, plutonium-239, plutonium-240, and plutonium-241. Each acts chemically like plutonium but they have 144, 145, 146, and 147 neutrons, respectively.

Source: GreenFacts

More:

A radioisotope is a radioactive isotope, i.e. an unstable isotope that undergoes radioactive decay toward a more stable form, emitting radiation.

Source: GreenFacts

Related words:

Radiation - Radioactivity

To read about this term in context:

GreenFacts Summary on the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident:

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