Isotopes

Front

What are isotopes?

Back

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

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

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

How do isotopes of the same element differ?

Back

Isotopes of the same element differ in their mass number due to the different number of neutrons.

Front

What is the mass number of an isotope?

Back

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

Front

What is a positive ion?

Back

A positive ion is formed when an atom loses one or more electrons, resulting in a net positive charge.

Front

What is the significance of the atomic mass?

Back

The atomic mass is the weighted average mass of an element's isotopes, reflecting the relative abundance of each isotope.

Front

What is Carbon-12?

Back

Carbon-12 is an isotope of carbon with 6 protons and 6 neutrons, and it is the most common isotope of carbon.

Front

What is Carbon-14 used for?

Back

Carbon-14 is used in radiocarbon dating to determine the age of organic materials.

Front

What is the difference between a neutral atom and an ion?

Back

A neutral atom has an equal number of protons and electrons, while an ion has a different number of electrons than protons.

Front

What is the relationship between protons and atomic number?

Back

The atomic number of an element is equal to the number of protons in its nucleus.