Question

Which statement comparing chemical and nuclear properties of isotopes is correct? Isotopes have similar chemical and nuclear properties. Isotopes have different chemical and nuclear properties. Isotopes generally have the same chemical properties, but often different nuclear properties. Isotopes have different chemical properties, but generally the same nuclear properties.

Answer 1

Answer: The correct answer is isotopes generally have the same chemical properties, but often different nuclear properties.

Explanation:

Isotopes are defined as the chemical species of the same element which have same atomic number but differ in their mass number.

Atomic number is defined as the number of protons or electrons that are present in a neutral atom.

Atomic number = number of protons = number of electrons

Mass number is defined as the sum of number of protons and neutrons that are present in an atom.

Mass number = Number of protons + Number of neutrons

Nuclear properties of an element is determined by the number of protons and neutrons present in a nucleus.

Chemical properties of an element is determined by the number of electrons present in an atom.

Isotopes have same atomic number, this means that they have same number of protons and electrons but they differ in mass number, which means that they differ in number of neutrons.

Hence, isotopes will have same chemical properties but different nuclear properties.