Atoms and isotopes

Question 1

What do all atoms of a particular element have the same number of?

Answer 1

protons

therefore all atoms of a certain element have a characteristic charge to their nucleus (e.g. C is +6)

Question 2

atomic number/proton number

Answer 2

number of protons in an atom

Question 3

mass number/nucleon number

Answer 3

total number of protons and neutrons in an atom

Question 4

Which number goes at the top of an elements symbol?

Answer 4

mass number

atomic number is at the bottom

(the bigger one is at the top)

Question 5

isotopes

Answer 5

atoms with the same atomic number (number of protons) but a different mass number (neutrons) are isotopes of the same element

Question 6

Explain how these atoms are similar and different [3]

(the first number is the one at the top)

[6][3]Li
[7][3]Li
[8][3]Li

Answer 6

they all contain the same number of protons and the same number of electrons (three of each)

they have different number of neutrons/mass number so they are different isotopes of lithium