How Do Atoms of Neon 20 and Neon 22 Differ?

Neon-20 atoms have 10 protons and 10 electrons, while neon-22 atoms have 10 protons and 12 electrons. The extra electrons in neon-22 make it heavier than neon-20, and also give it slightly different chemical properties. For example, neon-22 is more reactive than neon-20, and is often used in nuclear reactors because of its ability to readily capture neutrons. The different number of neutrons in the two nuclides also makes them have different nuclear spin quantum numbers, which affects their magnetic properties.

Neon 20 has a mass of 20.1797 amu (atomic mass units) and a half-life of 3.4 days. It decays by beta emission to oxygen 20. Neon 22 has a mass of 22.9897 amu and a half-life of 3.12 years. It decays by positron emission to magnesium 22.

Neon is a gas at room temperature and pressure. It consists of atoms with 10 electrons in their outermost orbital. This gas is used in some lights and lasers. The different colors of neon lights are produced by varying the pressure and/or adding impurities to the neon. For example, a orange-red color can be produced by adding mercury vapor to the neon.

Neon has two stable isotopes, neon-20 and neon-22. The difference in electric charge between these two atoms comes from the different number of neutrons in their nuclei. Neon-20 has 10 neutrons and neon-22 has 12 neutrons. This difference in neutron number changes the mass of the two neon isotopes, but not their electric charge.

Neon 20 and neon 22 differ in terms of their atomic radius because neon 20 has a smaller atomic radius than neon 22. This is due to the fact that neon 20 has a higher nuclear charge than neon 22. The higher the nuclear charge, the smaller the atomic radius.