The primary difference between sulfur-32 (S-32) and sulfur-34 (S-34) lies in their atomic structure, particularly in the number of neutrons present in the nucleus of each isotope. Both isotopes have the same number of protons, which is 16, as they are both forms of sulfur. However, the key distinction arises from the differing number of neutrons.
S-32 has 16 neutrons, while S-34 contains 18 neutrons. This difference in neutron count leads to variations in the atomic mass of the two isotopes. Specifically, S-32 has an atomic mass of approximately 32 atomic mass units (amu), and S-34 has an atomic mass of around 34 amu.
Because neutrons do not carry a charge, the chemical properties of S-32 and S-34 are nearly identical; they both behave the same way in chemical reactions. Nonetheless, their slight mass difference can affect their behavior in certain physical processes, such as nuclear reactions and isotopic labeling in experiments.