atom Flashcards
Proton
a subatomic particle that has a positive charge and that is found in the nucleus of an atom.
Atomic mass unit
a unit of mass that describes the mass of an atom or molecule.
neutron
a subatomic particle that has no charge and that found in the nucleus of an atom
Atomic number
the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom; the atomic number is the same for all atoms of an element.
isotope
an atom that has the same number of protons (or the same atomic number) as other atoms of the same element do but that has a different number of neutrons (and thus a different atomic mass)
mass number
the sum of the numbers of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atoms
atomic mass
the mass of an atom expressed in atomic mass units.