Question

What is the belt of stability?

Short answer

The Belt of Stability is a region on a graph where the number of neutrons is plotted against the number of protons in stable isotopes. It demonstrates which combinations of these particles will create a stable nucleus. In stable nuclei, ratios of neutrons to protons increase as the atomic number (number of protons in an atom's nucleus) increases

Step-by-step solution

Defining the Belt of Stability

The Belt of Stability is a term in nuclear physics. It refers to the area on a graph that plots the number of neutrons against the number of protons in stable isotopes (Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element which differ in neutron number).

Explaining how the Belt of Stability works

The 'belt' shows which combinations of neutrons and protons will make a stable nucleus. When observations or data of nuclei are plotted, a clear, narrow 'belt' or region of stable (non-radioactive) nuclei can be identified. For nuclei with a low atomic number, the ratio of neutrons to protons in stable nuclei is approximately 1:1. However, as the atomic number increases, stable nuclei usually have more neutrons than protons.

Identifying the importance of the Belt of Stability

Understanding the Belt of Stability is important because it helps scientists predict whether a certain isotope will be stable or radioactive. If a nucleus has too many or too few neutrons for the number of protons, it will be outside this belt and will therefore be radioactive.