Isotopes and Calculating Atomic Mass

Front

What is an isotope?

Back

Isotopes are variants of a chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, resulting in different mass numbers.

Front

What do isotopes of an element have in common?

Back

Isotopes of an element have the same atomic number and the same number of electrons.

Front

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

Back

To find the number of neutrons, subtract the atomic number (number of protons) from the mass number.

Front

What is atomic mass?

Back

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

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

How many neutrons are in Carbon-14?

Back

Carbon-14 has 8 neutrons.

Front

Which isotopes of an element have the same mass number?

Back

Isotopes of an element can have different mass numbers due to varying numbers of neutrons.

Front

What is the significance of isotopes in medicine?

Back

Isotopes are used in medical imaging and treatment, such as radioactive iodine in thyroid treatment.

Front

What is the difference between stable and unstable isotopes?

Back

Stable isotopes do not change over time, while unstable isotopes (radioisotopes) decay and emit radiation.

Front

How do isotopes affect the atomic mass of an element?

Back

The presence of different isotopes with varying masses contributes to the average atomic mass of the element.