Labs / Chemistry
Isotope Builder
Drop protons and neutrons into the nucleus while electrons swarm around it. The proton count alone decides which element you have made — change the neutrons to make isotopes, and change the electrons to make ions. Watch the notation, mass number, charge, and stability update as you go.
p⁺ 6n⁰ 6e⁻ 6Element CarbonMass A 12Charge 0 (neutral)Notation ¹²₆CNuclide Stable
What to try
- Add a single proton to hydrogen. Why does the atom become a completely different element?
- Keep 6 protons but add or remove a neutron. When does carbon stay stable, and when does it turn radioactive?
- Take away an electron without touching the nucleus. What happens to the charge — and is it still the same element?
- Which nuclei can you build that are stable, and which ones always come out radioactive?
- How many neutrons does a heavy element like calcium need compared with its number of protons?