Nuclide Symbols Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What does a different number of protons indicate?

Different ions

Different isotopes

Different elements (correct)

Different atomic masses

What does a different number of neutrons indicate?

Different isotopes (correct)

Different ions

Different elements

Different atomic numbers

What does a different number of electrons indicate?

Different ions (correct)

Different atomic masses

Different isotopes

Different elements

What is an ion?

An atom or molecule with a net electric charge due to the loss or gain of one or more electrons. Signup and view all the answers

Define isotope.

Each of two or more forms of the same element that contain equal numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons. Signup and view all the answers

What subatomic particle determines which element an atom belongs to?

Proton Signup and view all the answers

What is the atomic number of an element?

The number of protons in an atom. Signup and view all the answers

What does the mass number represent?

The total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. Signup and view all the answers

What is an atomic mass unit?

A unit of mass that describes the mass of an atom or molecule. Signup and view all the answers

What is a nuclide symbol?

A symbol that indicates the atomic number, mass number, and identity of a nucleus. Signup and view all the answers

What does electrical charge refer to?

Whether something has a positive or negative charge. Signup and view all the answers

What is a neutral atom?

An atom with the same number of protons and electrons. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes a positively charged atom?

More protons than electrons, resulting in a loss of an electron. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes a negatively charged atom?

Less protons than electrons, indicating a gain of an electron. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Fundamental Concepts

Different numbers of protons create different elements.
Different numbers of neutrons result in different isotopes of the same element.
Different numbers of electrons lead to different ions.

Ions and Isotopes

An ion is an atom or molecule with a net electric charge caused by losing or gaining electrons.
An isotope consists of forms of the same element that have equal protons but varying neutrons, leading to different atomic masses; isotopes can be radioactive.

Atomic Structure

A proton is a positively charged particle that identifies the element an atom represents.
The atomic number indicates the number of protons in an element; for instance, Oxygen’s atomic number is 8, usually displayed in the bottom left of a nuclide symbol.
The mass number is the total count of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus, found in the upper left of the nuclide symbol.

Measurement Units

The atomic mass unit (amu) is a unit of measurement describing the mass of atoms or molecules.

Nuclide Symbols

The nuclide symbol represents the atomic number, mass number, and identifies the nucleus of an atom; for example, 'C' denotes carbon.

Electrical Properties

Electrical charge indicates whether an atom has a positive or negative charge, typically shown in the top right corner of the nuclide symbol.
A neutral atom has an equal number of protons and electrons.
A positively charged atom has more protons than electrons, indicating it has lost an electron.
A negatively charged atom contains fewer protons than electrons, suggesting it has gained an electron.

Description

Explore the concepts of atomic number, mass number, ions, and isotopes through this set of flashcards. Each card presents key terms and definitions to enhance your understanding of nuclear chemistry. This resource is perfect for students looking to reinforce their knowledge of elemental structures.