ISOTOPE'S

84 Isotopes are two or more types

Kr
of atoms that have the same 1902
atomic number and position in

the periodic table, and that Rutherford and Frederick Soddy in 1902.
differ in nucleon numbers due to Radioactivity led to the radical modification of
different numbers of neutrons in Dalton's Atomic Theory, because it became

clear that atoms were not immutable, that they

their nuclei. were not indivisible, and that elements
consisted of more than one kind of atom.
IMPORTANCE OF
KRYPTON-85 ISOTOPE'S 1910
1936
Isotopes have unique properties, and Evidence for the existence of isotopes emerged
Krypton is a colorless gaseous element, these properties make them useful in from two independent lines of research, the
belongs to the noble gases. It occurs in the diagnostics and treatment first being the study of radioactivity. By 1910 it
air, 0.0001% by volume. This element can be had become clear that certain processes
extracted from liquid air by fractional applications. They are important in
distillation. Generally krypton is not isolated, associated with radioactivity, discovered some
but it is used with other inert gases in
nuclear medicine, oil and gas years before by French physicist Henri
fluorescent lamps. It has 33 isotopes. 6 of exploration, basic research, and Becquerel, could transform one element into
them are natural, 5 of which are stable.
national security. another. In particular, ores of the radioactive
is used for mass- elements uranium and thorium had been found
spectrometer calibration to contain small quantities of several
is used for laser radioactive substances never before observed.
frequency stabilization These substances were thought to be elements
is used for studies of
and accordingly received special names.
cosmic ray induced Uranium ores, for example, yielded ionium, and
spallation thorium ores gave mesothorium. Painstaking
is used for studies of work completed soon afterward revealed,
low-temperature
plasma however, that ionium, once mixed with
ordinary thorium, could no longer be retrieved
Mass of Atom by chemical means alone. Similarly,
83.911507 mesothorium was shown to be chemically
Abundance
57.00 indistinguishable from radium.
 1913 1943
This conclusion was reached simultaneously in
1913 by Kasimir Fajans (1887-1975) and Soddy
“In 1943, what would become Oak Ridge
(1877-1956). Fajans called the chemically identical National Laboratory began operations to
atoms with differing isotopic masses pleiads, but pursue the foundational knowledge needed for https://chem.libretexts.org/Ancillary_Mat
Soddy called them Isotopes, the name we currently sustained plutonium production. Today, the erials/Exemplars_and_Case_Studies/Exe
mplars/Culture/History_of_Isotopes#:~:te
use. Here it is in Soddy's words, where he argues Isotope Science and Engineering Directorate xt=History%20of%20the%20Idea%20of%2
against Fayan's idea that isotopes are carries forward the Lab’s history of isotope and 0Isotopes%20When%20we,by%20Ernest%
distinguished by electronic changes (eg. 90U4+ enrichment technology innovation. We are 20Rutherford%20and%20Frederick%20So
ddy%20in%201902.
would be identical to 90Th2+). At the time, enabling a world-leading isotope enterprise,
neutrons were unknown, and atoms were thought resulting in new medical treatments, scientific https://www.ornl.gov/content/ornls-
to be pairs of positive and negatively charged discoveries, industry applications, and isotope-history
particles.The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1921 was advances in national security.”
awarded to Frederick Soddy "for his contributions https://short-facts.com/what-is-the-
to our knowledge of the chemistry of radioactive effect-of-
isotope/#What_is_the_effect_of_isotope
substances, and his investigations into the origin
and nature of isotopes"
Effect of isotope
https://www.britannica.com/science/isot
ope/Isotope-separation-and-enrichment
1936 Primary isotope effects occur when the
breaking of the bond to the heavy isotope is the
John Lawrence started Donner rate-limiting step in a reaction (or metabolic
Laboratory circa 1936. Treating transformation). A reaction will proceed slower
a patient with leukemia, he for the molecule with the heavy isotope label
administered a radioactive because of the mass difference between the light
and the heavy isotope.
isotope of phosphate. It was the
Isotopes are atoms of the same element that
first time that a radioactive
isotope had been used in the
have the same number of protons but a NORJANA BANTAS
different number of neutrons. Because of the
treatment of a human disease as resulting differences in mass ratios, isotope STEM 12-JEREMIAH

nk
effects can significantly influence the

a
well as the start of a career-long

Th
formation and breaking of chemical bonds in
contribution from John
the course of chemical reactions.
Lawrence. He became known as

! you !
the father of nuclear medicine
and his laboratory is considered
the birthplace of this field.