Hydrogen has three isotopes ¹H, ²H, and ³H. What is the difference between these three isotopes?
A. The number of protons ranges from 1 to 3.
B. The number of electrons ranges from 1 to 3.
C. The number of neutrons ranges from 0 to 2.
D. The number of protons ranges from 0 to 2.
Answer (2)
Isotopes of an element have the same number of protons and electrons but differ in the number of neutrons.
Protium ('H) has 0 neutrons, deuterium (PH) has 1 neutron, and tritium (H) has 2 neutrons.
The difference between the isotopes is the number of neutrons.
The difference between 'H and PH is 1 neutron, and the difference between 'H and H is 2 neutrons, and the difference between PH and H is 1 neutron. The key difference between these isotopes is the number of neutrons in the nucleus. Thus, the difference between the three isotopes is the number of neutrons. T h e d i ff ere n ce i s in t h e n u mb er o f n e u t ro n s .
Explanation
Problem Analysis Let's analyze the problem. We are given three isotopes of hydrogen: 'H, PH, and H. We need to find the difference between these isotopes. Isotopes of an element have the same number of protons and electrons but differ in the number of neutrons.
Protium The isotope 'H, also known as protium, has 1 proton, 1 electron, and 0 neutrons.
Deuterium The isotope PH, also known as deuterium, has 1 proton, 1 electron, and 1 neutron.
Tritium The isotope H, also known as tritium, has 1 proton, 1 electron, and 2 neutrons.
Difference Between Isotopes The difference between the isotopes lies in the number of neutrons. Protium has 0 neutrons, deuterium has 1 neutron, and tritium has 2 neutrons. Therefore, the difference between 'H and PH is 1 neutron, and the difference between 'H and H is 2 neutrons, and the difference between PH and H is 1 neutron.
Key Difference The key difference between these isotopes is the number of neutrons in the nucleus.
Final Answer Thus, the difference between the three isotopes is the number of neutrons.
Examples
Isotopes are used in various applications, such as carbon dating in archaeology to determine the age of ancient artifacts. Radioactive isotopes are used in medicine for cancer treatment and diagnostic imaging. In nuclear power plants, isotopes of uranium are used as fuel to generate electricity. Understanding isotopes is crucial in many scientific fields.
The three isotopes of hydrogen differ in their number of neutrons: ¹H has 0 neutrons, ²H has 1 neutron, and ³H has 2 neutrons. Therefore, the correct answer is option C, which states that the number of neutrons ranges from 0 to 2. This distinction is what defines the isotopes of hydrogen.
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