Isotopes & average atomic mass practice

Front

What are isotopes?

Back

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

Front

What is average atomic mass?

Back

Average atomic mass is the weighted average of the masses of an element's isotopes, taking into account their relative abundances.

Front

How do you determine the most abundant isotope of an element?

Back

The most abundant isotope is typically the one whose mass is closest to the average atomic mass of the element.

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 many neutrons are in an isotope?

Back

The number of neutrons in an isotope can be found by subtracting the atomic number from the mass number.

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.

Front

What is the significance of the mass number?

Back

The mass number is the total number of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus, indicating its isotopic identity.

Front

How do you calculate the average atomic mass from isotopic abundances?

Back

Multiply the mass of each isotope by its relative abundance (as a decimal), then sum these values.

Front

What is the difference between atomic mass and mass number?

Back

Atomic mass is a weighted average of all isotopes, while mass number is a whole number representing the total number of protons and neutrons in a specific isotope.

Front

What do isotopes of an element have in common?

Back

Isotopes of an element have the same number of protons and electrons, which means they have the same atomic number.