Ions & Isotopes

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 a negative ion?

Back

A negative ion, or anion, is formed when an atom gains one or more electrons, resulting in a net negative charge.

Front

What is a positive ion?

Back

A positive ion, or cation, is formed when an atom loses one or more electrons, resulting in a net positive 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 isotopes of an element differ?

Back

Isotopes of an element differ in their mass number due to the different number of neutrons.

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 is mass number?

Back

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

Front

What is the relationship between isotopes and atomic number?

Back

Isotopes of an element have the same atomic number but different mass numbers.

Front

What happens to an atom when it gains electrons?

Back

When an atom gains electrons, it becomes a negative ion.

Front

What happens to an atom when it loses electrons?

Back

When an atom loses electrons, it becomes a positive ion.