Atoms, Isotopes, Ions

Front

What is the atomic number of an element?

Back

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

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

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

Back

The number of protons in an atom is determined by its atomic number.

Front

What happens when you add or subtract neutrons from an atom?

Back

Adding or subtracting neutrons changes the atom into an isotope of that element.

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

What is the difference between a cation and an anion?

Back

A cation is a positively charged ion (loss of electrons), while an anion is a negatively charged ion (gain of electrons).

Front

What is the atomic mass of an element?

Back

The atomic mass is the weighted average mass of an element's isotopes, measured in atomic mass units (amu).

Front

How many neutrons are in Carbon-12?

Back

Carbon-12 has 6 neutrons (12 - 6 = 6).

Front

What is the significance of the atomic mass number?

Back

The atomic mass number indicates the total number of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus.

Front

Can an element have more than one isotope?

Back

Yes, an element can have multiple isotopes, which differ in the number of neutrons.