1 : one of two or more compounds, radicals, or ions that contain the same number of atoms of the same elements but differ in structural arrangement and properties2 : a nuclide isomeric with one or more others
There are several types of isomers such as "structural isomers" and "stereo isomers," however all isomers, regardless of their specific names, have the same chemical formula.
For example, take the compounds ethylmethyl ether and isopropyl alcohol. Both compounds have the same chemical formula of C3H8O, therefore they are isomers. The respective compounds are normally shown as:
CH3CH2-O-CH3 and CH3CH(OH)CH3. The chemical structures are different in the two compounds; not just the way the atoms are arranged in space.
A different kind of isomer is one where each molecule has the same structure - meaning that the atoms in each isomer are bound together the same way - but the atoms differ in the way they are arranged in space. A simple example is 2-butene. A typical structural representation of the compound is: CH3CH=CHCH3 , where the "=" represents a double bond between the two carbon atoms closest to the = symbol, but unless someone has studied organic chemistry, they wouldn't know that there are actually two forms of 2-butene with different physical properties like melting point, boiling point, index of refraction, heat capacity, thermal conductivity and others. One of the two stereoisomers may be shown like this:
CH3 CH3
\ /
C=C
/ \
H H
(The best structure I could draw with the tools available may have gotten screwed up. You'll just have to use your imagination, and it may help to try to draw the molecule, and carefully read the following discussion.) The two carbon atoms that make up the carbon-carbon double bond, the two hydrogen atoms attached to them (one hydrogen atom is attached to each carbon of the carbon-carbon double bond), and the two -CH3 groups also attached to the two carbon atoms that make up the carbon-carbon double bond all lie in the same plane. Thus, the molecule is flat except for the hydrogen atoms on the two -CH3 groups. The word "cis" is Latin for "same," and the first structure shown is named "cis" because the two hydrogen atoms attached to the carbon atoms that are double bonded to one another are on the same side of the double bond.
What about the isomer of cis-2-butene? How could it be different? There is only one true possibility; any other attempt to draw a stereo isomer would be a compound that couldn't actually exist. I'm sure you already figured it out, that the other isomer must have the two hydrogen atoms attached to the double bonded carbon atoms on opposite sides of the double bond, and that is correct. The compete name of that compound is trans-2-butene. The word "trans" also comes from Latin and means "opposite." The best I can draw that compound here is as follows:
H CH3
\ /
C=C
/ \
CH3 H
I hope this helps. There is another type of isomer, but it's difficult to explain without drawing it, and this site doesn't have the tools to draw it properly.
Every element has isotopes. The element is defined by the number of protons, and the isotope by the number of neutrons in the atom of the element. The isotope number is the sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons in the atom.
Hydrogen, for example, has three isotopes found in nature on Earth. All isotopes of hydrogen have a single proton. The most common is 1H, or hytrogen-1. 1H has a single proton and no neutrons. It is also called protium (only hydrogen has different names for different isotopes).
2H, or hydrogen-2 has one proton and one neutron. It is hydrogen because it has one proton. It is 2H because the number of protons plus the number of neutrons comes to 2. It is also called deuterium.
3H, or hydrogen-3 has one proton and two neutrons. It is hydrogen because it has one proton. It is 3H because the number of protons plus the number of neutrons comes to 3. It is also called tritium.
From a chemical point of view, the isotopes of an element are all pretty much the same. But the atoms of different isotopes have different mass, and the radiological properties depend on the isotope. A combination of two hydrogen atoms with an oxygen atom produces water, regardless of what isotopes of hydrogen are involved. If the water atom is made from deuterium, however, it is heavier than an atom made from hydrogen. Also, protium and deuterium are not radioactive, but tritium is.
Isotopes are different types of atoms of the same element. These isotope will have the same atomic number (protons), but will differ in number of neutrons.
An example of an isotope:
carbon, carbon12 is the elemental form, carbon14 is an isotope of Carbon
Stereoisomers are isomers of the same molecular formula that differ only in the spatial arrangement of their atoms. Cis-butenedioic acid and trans-butenedioic acid are stereoisomers.
Chorine & carbon
If an element has one and only one stable isotope, an example is Gold.
eeffefretr
frigorator hahaha
For example a thorium isotope is Th-231 or 23190 Th.
An example with a zinc isotope: 81Zn (mass number as superscript before the chemical symbol)
Sodium chloride is a compound, not an isotope.
63Cu
If an element has one and only one stable isotope, an example is Gold.
Deuterium is an example of natural, non-radioactive isotope; deuterium is the isotope of hydrogen with 1 proton and 1 neutron.
eeffefretr
frigorator hahaha
For example a thorium isotope is Th-231 or 23190 Th.
An example with a zinc isotope: 81Zn (mass number as superscript before the chemical symbol)
Tc99m
Each isotope, stable or unstable, has a specific symbol; for example K-40 for potassium 40.
The chemical symbol of uranium is U.
hydrogen-1hydrogen-2carbon-12etc.