Ions and Isotopes

Front

What is an ion?

Back

An ion is an atom or molecule that has a net electric charge due to the loss or gain of one or more electrons.

Front

What is a cation?

Back

A cation is a positively charged ion, formed when an atom loses one or more electrons.

Front

What is an anion?

Back

An anion is a negatively charged ion, formed when an atom gains one or more electrons.

Front

What is an isotope?

Back

An isotope is a variant of a chemical element that has the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons.

Front

What is the mass number of an atom?

Back

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

Front

How do you calculate the number of neutrons in an atom?

Back

Number of neutrons = Mass number - Atomic number.

Front

What is the atomic number of an element?

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 charge of a neutral atom?

Back

A neutral atom has no charge, meaning it has an equal number of protons and electrons.

Front

What happens to an atom when it becomes a cation?

Back

When an atom becomes a cation, it loses one or more electrons, resulting in a positive charge.

Front

What happens to an atom when it becomes an anion?

Back

When an atom becomes an anion, it gains one or more electrons, resulting in a negative charge.