A family of people often consists of related but not identical individuals. Elements have families as well, known as isotopes. Isotopes are members of a family of an element that all have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.
The number of protons in a nucleus determines the element’s atomic number on the Periodic Table. For example, carbon has six protons and is atomic number 6. Carbon occurs naturally in three isotopes: carbon 12, which has 6 neutrons (plus 6 protons equals 12), carbon 13, which has 7 neutrons, and carbon 14, which has 8 neutrons. Every element has its own number of isotopes.
The addition of even one neutron can dramatically change an isotope’s properties. Carbon-12 is stable, meaning it never undergoes radioactive decay. Carbon-14 is unstable and undergoes radioactive decay with a half-life of about 5,730 years (meaning that half of the material will be gone after 5,730 years). This decay means the amount of carbon-14 in an object serves as a clock, showing the object’s age in a process called “carbon dating.”
Isotopes have unique properties, and these properties make them useful in diagnostics and treatment applications. They are important in nuclear medicine, oil and gas exploration, basic research, and national security.
DOE Office of Science & Isotopes
Isotopes are needed for research, commerce, medical diagnostics and treatment, and national security. However, isotopes are not always available in sufficient quantities or at reasonable prices. The DOE Isotope Program addresses this need. The program produces and distributes radioactive and stable isotopes that are in short supply, including byproducts, surplus materials, and related isotope services. The program also maintains the infrastructure required to produce and supply priority isotope products and related services. Finally, it conducts research and development on new and improved isotope production and processing techniques.
Isotope Facts
- All elements have isotopes.
- There are two main types of isotopes: stable and unstable (radioactive).
- There are 254 known stable isotopes.
- All artificial (lab-made) isotopes are unstable and therefore radioactive; scientists call them radioisotopes.
- Some elements can only exist in an unstable form (for example, uranium).
- Hydrogen is the only element whose isotopes have unique names: deuterium for hydrogen with one neutron and tritium for hydrogen with two neutrons.
Resources and Related Terms
- NSAC Report: Meeting Isotope Needs and Capturing Opportunities for the Future
- NSAC: Compelling Research Opportunities Using Isotopes
- The Journey of Actinium-225: How Scientists Discovered a New Way to Produce a Rare Medical Radioisotope
- DOE Isotope Development & Production for Research and Applications
- National Isotope Development Center (Isotope Basics)
- The recently launched Facility for Rare Isotope Beams has completed its groundbreaking first experimental results.
Scientific terms can be confusing. DOE Explains offers straightforward explanations of key words and concepts in fundamental science. It also describes how these concepts apply to the work that the Department of Energy’s Office of Science conducts as it helps the United States excel in research across the scientific spectrum.
CHEBI:36927 - carbon-14 atom
| Main | ChEBI Ontology | Automatic Xrefs | Reactions | Pathways | Models |
| Monoisotopic Mass | 14.00324 |
| InChIKey | OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-NJFSPNSNSA-N |
| Roles Classification | |
| Biological Role(s): | macronutrient Any nutrient required in large quantities by organisms throughout their life in order to orchestrate a range of physiological functions. Macronutrients are usually chemical elements (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur) that humans consume in the largest quantities. Calcium, sodium, magnesium and potassium are sometimes included as macronutrients because they are required in relatively large quantities compared with other vitamins and minerals. |
| Synonyms | Sources |
| 146C | IUPAC |
| 14C | IUPAC |
| carbon, isotope of mass 14 | ChemIDplus |
| carbon-14 | ChEBI |
| Registry Number | Type | Source |
| 14762-75-5 | CAS Registry Number | ChemIDplus |
| Last Modified |
| 15 June 2021 |