Isotopes and Calculating Atomic Mass

Front

What is an isotope?

Back

Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Front

How do you calculate the atomic mass of an element?

Back

The atomic mass is calculated by taking the weighted average of the masses of all the isotopes of an element based on their natural abundance.

Front

What does the atomic number represent?

Back

The atomic number represents the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.

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

If an isotope has 22 protons and 26 neutrons, what is its mass number?

Back

The mass number is 48 (22 protons + 26 neutrons).

Front

What is the relationship between isotopes and atomic mass?

Back

Isotopes of an element have different atomic masses due to differing numbers of neutrons.

Front

How many neutrons does Li-6 have?

Back

Li-6 has 3 neutrons (6 mass number - 3 protons = 3 neutrons).

Front

What is the significance of the 'A' position in an isotope symbol?

Back

The 'A' position represents the mass number of the isotope.

Front

What is the difference between Li-7 and Li-8?

Back

Li-7 has 4 neutrons, while Li-8 has 5 neutrons.

Front

What is the formula to find the number of neutrons in an isotope?

Back

Number of neutrons = Mass number - Atomic number.