Atoms Ions 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 a net electrical charge due to the loss or gain of one or more electrons.

Front

What is an isotope?

Back

An isotope is a variant of a chemical element that has the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons.

Front

How do you determine the charge of an ion?

Back

The charge of an ion is determined by the difference between the number of protons (positive charge) and electrons (negative charge).

Front

What happens to an atom when it loses an electron?

Back

When an atom loses an electron, it becomes a positively charged ion (cation).

Front

What happens to an atom when it gains an electron?

Back

When an atom gains an electron, it becomes a negatively charged ion (anion).

Front

What is the charge of a neutral atom?

Back

A neutral atom has no charge, meaning the number of protons equals the number of electrons.

Front

How many protons does a magnesium atom have?

Back

A magnesium atom has 12 protons.

Front

If an atom has 9 protons and 10 electrons, what is its charge?

Back

The charge is -1, as there is one more electron than protons.

Front

What defines a different element?

Back

Different elements are defined by having different numbers of protons in their nuclei.