Question

early discovery and development of isotopes
for well over a century, scientists have understood that many of the earths elements occur in different atomic configurations or isotopes - and some of these possessed radioactive qualities. research into the nature and characteristics of radioisotopes reached a crucial milestone in the 1930s with ernest lawrences invention of an improved version of the particle accelerator, known as the cyclotron. scientists soon discovered that by bombarding different materials with cyclotron - produced high energy beams it was possible to obtain small quantities of artificial radioisotopes.
examples of naturally - occurring isotopes

• carbon - 14 - used to measure the age of organic materials and subterranean water
• chlorine - 36 - used to measure sources of chloride and the age of water, up to 2 million years
• lead - 210 - used to date layers of sand and soil up to 80 years

examples of artificially - produced radioisotopes

• cobalt - 60 - widely used in gamma sterilisation and industrial radiography
• cesium - 137 - used as a radiotracer in identifying sources of soil erosion and soil deposition
• gold - 198 - used to study the movement of sewage, sand, and ocean pollution

what different subatomic particles would need to collide in the cyclotron to create different nuclei / isotopes?
pick one of the naturally occurring isotopes from above and identify the following:
atomic number ____ mass number __ # protons __ # neutrons ____
pick one of the artificially produced isotopes from above and identify the following:
atomic number ____ mass number __ # protons __ # neutrons ____

Explanation:

Step1: Select an isotope

Let's choose Carbon - 14.

Step2: Determine atomic number

Carbon has an atomic number of 6.

Step3: Determine mass number

Carbon - 14 has a mass number of 14.

Step4: Calculate protons

The number of protons is equal to the atomic number, so 6 protons.

Step5: Calculate neutrons

Neutrons = Mass number - Protons. So \(14 - 6=8\) neutrons.

Step1: Select an isotope

Let's choose Cobalt - 60.

Step2: Determine atomic number

Cobalt has an atomic number of 27.

Step3: Determine mass number

Cobalt - 60 has a mass number of 60.

Step4: Calculate protons

The number of protons is equal to the atomic number, so 27 protons.

Step5: Calculate neutrons

Neutrons = Mass number - Protons. So \(60 - 27 = 33\) neutrons.

Answer:

Atomic Number: 6, Mass Number: 14, # Protons: 6, # Neutrons: 8