What is a parent isotope?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the definition of a parent isotope, which refers to the original unstable isotope that undergoes radioactive decay to form a daughter isotope. This concept is important in radiometric dating and nuclear physics.
Answer
A parent isotope is an unstable radioactive isotope that decays into a daughter isotope.
The final answer is a parent isotope is an unstable radioactive isotope that decays into a more stable daughter isotope, emitting particles like alpha, beta or gamma rays.
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is a parent isotope is an unstable radioactive isotope that decays into a more stable daughter isotope, emitting particles like alpha, beta or gamma rays.
More Information
Carbon-14 is a common example of a parent isotope that decays into nitrogen-14 by beta decay.
Tips
A common mistake is to confuse the parent and daughter isotopes, especially in naming which is unstable and which is the stable product.
Sources
- What is a parent isotope? - Socratic - socratic.org
- Parent isotope | chemistry - Britannica - britannica.com
- Parent isotope - Oxford Reference - oxfordreference.com
