1.8 Describe atoms of a given element as having the same number of protons in the nucleus and that this number is unique to that element Flashcards
What defines the identity of an element?
The number of protons in an atom’s nucleus, known as the atomic number.
All atoms of the same element have the same number of protons.
What are isotopes?
Isotopes are different forms of the same element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.
What is the atomic number?
The atomic number is the number of protons in an atom’s nucleus.
How is an element defined?
An element is defined by its atomic number; all atoms of the same element have the same number of protons.
What is unique to each element?
The number of protons is unique to each element; no two elements have the same atomic number.
Do isotopes have the same atomic number?
Yes, isotopes have the same atomic number because they share the same number of protons.
Why do isotopes have different mass numbers?
Isotopes have different mass numbers because they have different numbers of neutrons.
Can you give an example of isotopes?
Carbon has three isotopes: carbon-12, carbon-13, and carbon-14.
They all have 6 protons (carbon’s atomic number), but differ in neutron count (6, 7, and 8 neutrons, respectively), resulting in different mass numbers (12, 13, and 14).
