What is the Difference Between Parent and Daughter Isotopes?

The difference between parent and daughter isotopes lies in their stability and how they are related through radioactive decay. Here are the key points:

• Parent isotopes are unstable radioactive isotopes that can undergo radioactive decay. Examples of parent isotopes include uranium and potassium-40.
• Daughter isotopes are the more stable forms of isotopes that result from the radioactive decay of parent isotopes. For example, uranium can decay into lead, making lead the daughter isotope of uranium.

Radioactive decay occurs at known rates, which can be described in terms of half-life. One half-life is the time it takes for half of the parent isotopes present in a sample to decay into daughter isotopes. By determining the ratio of parent to daughter isotopes in a sample, it is possible to calculate the age of the material using the known decay rates. This technique is commonly used in radiometric dating.

Comparative Table: Parent vs Daughter Isotopes

Here is a table comparing the differences between parent and daughter isotopes:

Parent isotopes are radioactive and can spontaneously decay into daughter isotopes, which are stable and non-radioactive. The process of radioactive decay can be observed by measuring the ratio of parent to daughter isotopes, which can be used to determine the age of a rock or other materials.