Everything You Need to Know About Isotopes

What is an isotope? Neil deGrasse Tyson breaks down isotopes—like carbon-14, deuterium, and helium-3–and the variations that exist in the periodic table of elements. What happens when you add a neutron?

We break down what is going on in the nucleus of atoms as well as go over common isotopes. What is “heavy water”? Learn about deuterium, tritium, isotopes of helium, and carbon-14. How do we use carbon-14 dating to find out the age of an object?

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Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!

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00:00 - Introduction
00:20 - The Periodic Table of Elements
2:44 - Neutrons in the Nucleus
4:03 - Hydrogen Isotopes: Deuterium & Tritium
5:16 - Carbon Isotopes: Carbon 14
8:47 - Helium Isotopes: Helium 3 & 4