Isotopes Flashcards

All 4 cards in this deck

What are isotopes?

Atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei.

True or false? Isotopes of an element have different numbers of electrons.

False. They have the same number of protons and the same number of electrons; only the number of neutrons differs.

True or false? Isotopes of an element have the same atomic number but different mass numbers.

True. Same protons gives the same atomic number; different neutrons gives different mass numbers.

How do you find the numbers of protons, neutrons and electrons in an atom from its atomic number and mass number?

protons = atomic number; electrons = protons (the atom is neutral); neutrons = mass number − atomic number