Isotopic shift

Isotopic shift is like telling the difference between two types of cereal. Let's say you have Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios. They look similar, but when you taste them, you can tell they are different because the Honey Nut Cheerios taste a bit sweeter.

Similarly, isotopic shift is when scientists can tell the difference between two atoms that are almost the same but have a slightly different weight. Just like how you can tell the difference between two cereal types by tasting them, scientists can use special tools to measure tiny differences in the weight of the atoms.

This is important because by knowing these small differences, scientists can learn a lot about substances like chemicals and minerals. It's like being able to tell the difference between two similar-looking things by really paying attention to the details.