ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Isotopes of sulfur

Do you know what sulfur is? It's a chemical element that can be found in some things like rocks, water, and even in some parts of your body! But did you know that there are different types of sulfur? They are called isotopes!

Isotopes are like different types of a toy car. They look similar, but they have some differences in their parts. In sulfur, the isotopes have different numbers of neutrons in their atomic nucleus. Neutrons are like little particles that help hold the atomic nucleus together.

One of the most common isotopes of sulfur is called sulfur-32. This means that it has 16 protons (which are like the car's body) and 16 neutrons (which are like the car's wheels). However, there are also other isotopes like sulfur-33 and sulfur-34 that have a different number of neutrons.

Scientists can use these isotopes to learn more about how sulfur behaves in nature. For example, they can study how sulfur moves through the environment by tracking the different isotopes. It's like following the different toy cars to see where they go!

So, in summary, isotopes of sulfur are like different types of toy cars that have some differences in their parts. They help scientists learn more about how sulfur behaves in nature.
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