Question

Explain why isotopes of the same element behave

differently in nuclear reactions but not in chemical
reactions.

Answer 1

An isotope is a chemical structure that is highly similar to its parent isotope, with the difference lying in the number of neutrons that the compound has. As an example, carbon has the elemental number 6, which means it has 6 protons. 12-carbon will have 6 protons and 6 neutrons, while 14-carbon will have 6 protons and 8 neutrons. The differing neutron numbers will have an affect on the nuclear reactions between these two compounds, but their chemical reactions will remain the same as the neutrons will not affect how they perform on a chemical level.

Answer 2

Chemical reactions involve changes to protons and neutrons in an atom. Isotopes don’t differ in protons or neutrons and so they do react the same way during chemical changes. Nuclear reactions involve changes to protons and neutrons in an atom and isotopes differ in neutrons, they do react differently to the changes