Atoms, Ions, and Isotopes

Front

What is an atom?

Back

An atom is the smallest unit of matter that retains the properties of an element, consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Front

What is an ion?

Back

An ion is an atom or molecule that has gained or lost one or more electrons, resulting in a net electrical charge.

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.

Front

How do you calculate the number of neutrons in an isotope?

Back

Subtract the atomic number (number of protons) from the mass number (total number of protons and neutrons).

Front

What is the charge of a cation?

Back

A cation is a positively charged ion, formed when an atom loses one or more electrons.

Front

What is the charge of an anion?

Back

An anion is a negatively charged ion, formed when an atom gains one or more electrons.

Front

How many protons are in a carbon atom?

Back

A carbon atom has 6 protons.

Front

What is the mass number of an atom?

Back

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

Front

What happens to the number of electrons in an atom when it becomes an ion?

Back

The number of electrons changes; it increases if the atom gains electrons (anion) and decreases if it loses electrons (cation).

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.