Atomic Structure and Nuclei Quiz

Atomic Number

• Represents the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.
• Determines the element's identity in the periodic table (e.g., hydrogen has an atomic number of 1).
• Also indicates the number of electrons in a neutral atom.

Nuclear Binding Energy

• The energy required to assemble a nucleus from its constituent nucleons (protons and neutrons).
• A reflection of the strength of the forces holding the nucleus together.
• Typically expressed in megajoules per mole (MJ/mol) or in electronvolts (eV) for individual nucleons.

Mass Number

• Total count of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus.
• Often represented as "A" in nuclear notation (e.g., Carbon-12 has a mass number of 12).
• Does not account for electrons and differs from the atomic weight, which considers isotopic abundance.

Isotopes

• Variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.
• Identified by their mass numbers (e.g., Carbon-12 and Carbon-14).
• Some isotopes are stable, while others are radioactive and decay over time, releasing radiation.