Chemistry: Ions and Isotopes Quiz

Study Notes

Ions are atoms or molecules that have gained or lost one or more electrons, resulting in a net positive or negative charge.
Cations are positively charged ions, formed when an atom loses electrons.
Anions are negatively charged ions, formed when an atom gains electrons.
The number of protons remains constant in an ion, but the number of electrons changes.
This change in electron number alters the overall charge of the atom.
Ions are crucial to many chemical processes, including the formation of ionic compounds.
Common examples of ions include sodium (Na+), chloride (Cl-), and calcium (Ca2+).
Ionic compounds are formed through electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions.

Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.
This difference in neutron number affects the mass of the isotope.
Isotopes are identified by their mass number, which is the sum of protons and neutrons.
Different isotopes of the same element exhibit similar chemical properties because they have the same number of electrons.
Isotopes can be stable or unstable.
Unstable isotopes are radioactive, meaning they decay over time and emit radiation.
This decay process transforms the isotope into another element or a different isotope.
Radioactive isotopes are used in various applications, such as medical imaging and cancer treatment.
Examples include Carbon-12, Carbon-13, and Carbon-14, all isotopes of carbon.
The relative abundance of different isotopes of an element can vary naturally.
This variation can be used to determine the age of certain materials or to study past environmental conditions.
The mass spectrometry technique can measure the relative abundances of isotopes.
The concept of isotopes is vital in understanding the properties and behavior of different elements and atoms.