Nuclear Chemist Interview Question:

Explain the nuclides based on the number of protons and neutrons of the nuclei?

Submitted by: Muhammad

Nucleoside can be classified in four ways based on the number of protons and neutrons of the nuclei. These are:

☛ a. Isotopes: These are the nuclei that belong to the same element and have the same number of protons. They occupy the same position in the periodic table and hence have the same atomic number. The isotopes of given element contains same number of electrons and hence have the same chemical properties, thus it is difficult to separate them from one another using chemical methods. However the Isotopes of given element differ in mass dependent physical properties like rate of diffusion and thus can be separated from one another using physical properties.

☛ b. Isobars: These are the nuclei of the neighbouring group having the same mass number but different atomic number. The isobaric nuclei belong to the different group and hence occupy different positions in the periodic table. They also differ in their chemical properties.

☛ c. Isotones: These are the nuclei that contain same number of neutrons but they differ in the number of protons and also in the mass number.

☛ d. Isomers: These are the nuclei that contain same number of protons and neutrons and hence they have the same mass number but they differ in their energies. In order to reach the ground state these nuclei emit the excess energy as gamma ray photon. The unstable nucleus is said to be in metastable state which on emission of gamma rays becomes stable.
Submitted by: Muhammad