Isotopes 1

Front

What is an isotope?

Back

Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, resulting in different atomic masses.

Front

How do you calculate the average atomic mass of an element with multiple isotopes?

Back

The average atomic mass is calculated by taking the weighted average of the masses of all isotopes, considering their relative abundances.

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

If an isotope has 10 protons and 12 neutrons, what is its mass number?

Back

The mass number is the sum of protons and neutrons, so it would be 10 + 12 = 22.

Front

What is the mass number of an isotope represented as X-A?

Back

In the notation X-A, 'A' represents the mass number, which is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus.

Front

How many neutrons are in an isotope with a mass number of 18 and an atomic number of 9?

Back

The number of neutrons is calculated by subtracting the atomic number from the mass number: 18 - 9 = 9 neutrons.

Front

What is the significance of isotopes in medicine?

Back

Isotopes are used in medicine for diagnostic imaging and treatment, such as radioactive isotopes in cancer therapy.

Front

What is the difference between stable and unstable isotopes?

Back

Stable isotopes do not undergo radioactive decay, while unstable isotopes (radioisotopes) decay over time, emitting radiation.

Front

How can isotopes be used in carbon dating?

Back

Carbon dating uses the ratio of carbon-14 (a radioactive isotope) to carbon-12 to estimate the age of organic materials.

Front

What is the role of neutrons in isotopes?

Back

Neutrons contribute to the mass of an atom and can affect the stability of the nucleus; different numbers of neutrons create different isotopes.