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As you and a friend are entering a chemistry laboratory at your university, you see a sign that states: danger—radioactive isotopes in use. your friend is an accounting major and has not had any science courses yet. she asks you what a radioactive isotope is and you respond correctly with:

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Radioactive isotopes are atoms that are unstable and subsequently produce energy in a procedure called radioactive decay.

All the atoms of an element have a similar number of protons, however the quantity of their neutrons can contrast. On the off chance that this happens, at that point we can call these isotopes of an element. Isotopes have a similar number of protons, yet they contrast in the quantity of neutrons.

If an isotope has an unstable nucleus that separates to emanate radiation, at that point these are what we call radioactive isotopes, also called radioisotopes.

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