Nuclide Symbols Flashcards

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.