2.1.1 Atomic Structure and Isotopes

Question 1

What are isotopes?

Answer 1

Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons/different masses but the same number of protons

Question 2

What is the atomic number?

Answer 2

The number of protons

Question 3

What is the mass number?

Answer 3

The number of protons and neutrons

Question 4

What are the relative charges and masses of the subatomic particles?

Answer 4

Proton = +1, 1
Neutron = 0, 1
Electron = -1, 1/2000

Question 5

What gives a negative ion?

Answer 5

When there are more electrons then protons

Question 6

What gives a positive ion?

Answer 6

When there are more protons than electrons

Question 7

What does relative isotopic mass mean?

Answer 7

The mass of an isotope compared with 1/12th mass of carbon-12

Question 8

What does relative atomic mass mean?

Answer 8

Weighted mean mass of an atom of an element compared with 1/12th mass of carbon-12

Question 9

What is mass spectrometry used in?

Answer 9

The determination of relative isotopic masses and relative abundances of isotopes

Question 10

What is plotted on a graph from a mass spectrometer?

Answer 10

• The m/z ratio against % abundance
• The m/z ratio is the mass charge ratio which is usually 1+

Question 11

What is the relative molecular mass?

Answer 11

The sum of all the atomic masses of the atoms in the compound