Atoms, Isotopes, Ions

Front

What is an atom?

Back

An atom is the basic unit of a chemical element, consisting of a nucleus made of protons and neutrons, surrounded by 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 an ion?

Back

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

Front

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

Back

The number of neutrons can be determined by subtracting the atomic number (number of protons) from the atomic mass.

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 happens to an atom when it gains electrons?

Back

When an atom gains electrons, it becomes negatively charged and is called an anion.

Front

What happens to an atom when it loses electrons?

Back

When an atom loses electrons, it becomes positively charged and is called a cation.

Front

What is the relationship between atomic mass and isotopes?

Back

The atomic mass of an element is a weighted average of the masses of its isotopes, taking into account their relative abundances.

Front

How many electrons does a neutral atom have?

Back

A neutral atom has the same number of electrons as protons.

Front

What is the significance of the atomic mass unit (amu)?

Back

The atomic mass unit (amu) is a standard unit of mass that quantifies mass on an atomic or molecular scale, defined as one twelfth of the mass of a carbon-12 atom.