Isotopes and Subatomic Particles

Front

What is an isotope?

Back

Isotopes are atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.

Front

How is the identity of an element determined?

Back

The identity of an element is determined by the number of protons it has.

Front

What is the charge of a neutral atom?

Back

A neutral atom has an equal number of protons and electrons.

Front

What is the half-life of a radioactive substance?

Back

The half-life is the amount of time it takes for half of the particles of an element to decay.

Front

How many neutrons are in Oxygen-16?

Back

Oxygen-16 has 8 neutrons.

Front

How many neutrons are in Oxygen-17?

Back

Oxygen-17 has 9 neutrons.

Front

How many neutrons are in Oxygen-18?

Back

Oxygen-18 has 10 neutrons.

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.

Front

What is the significance of neutrons in an atom?

Back

Neutrons contribute to the atomic mass and stability of the nucleus but do not affect the charge.

Front

What happens to the atomic mass of an element when it has isotopes?

Back

The atomic mass is a weighted average of the masses of all its isotopes.