Atoms & Isotopes

Front

What is an atom?

Back

An atom is the smallest unit of matter that retains the properties of an element, consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Front

What are isotopes?

Back

Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Front

What is the atomic number?

Back

The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which determines the element's identity.

Front

What is the mass number?

Back

The mass number is the total number of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus.

Front

How do you calculate the mass number of an isotope?

Back

Mass number = Number of protons + Number of neutrons.

Front

What is a neutral atom?

Back

A neutral atom has an equal number of protons and electrons, resulting in no overall charge.

Front

What is the charge of a proton?

Back

A proton has a positive charge.

Front

What is the charge of a neutron?

Back

A neutron has no charge (it is neutral).

Front

What is the charge of an electron?

Back

An electron has a negative charge.

Front

What is the relationship between protons and electrons in a neutral atom?

Back

In a neutral atom, the number of protons equals the number of electrons.