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IsoWHAT?

Tune: It is Well with My Soul
From: Horatio Spafford

By Amy Jo Klamm Evanston Township High School Evanston, IL

When one element has different masses,
When there are variations of elements,
That is because, as you might know,
They have different numbers of neutrons.
They are called, they are called
Isotopes, isotopes.
They are called, they are called "isotopes."

Scientists used to think all atoms of an element
Had tne same number of particles.
But J.J. Thomson saw neon's isotopes.
And he knew they were wrong, they were wrong.
When isotopes, isotopes
Were found, were found
They caused atomic theory to change.

In neon, we see three isotopes.
Neon-20, 21 and 22.
The first has ten neutrons, the second, eleven.
And the third, the third, has twelve.
As you see, isotope numbers
Are made, are made by adding
The protons and neutrons.

To determine the atomic mass of an element,
Atomic mass of isotopes are averaged.
That is why on the periodic table,
Atomic mass, atomic mass is not an integer.
That is why, that is why
On the periodic table, the periodic table,
Atomic masses don't appear as integers.