Isotope Chemistry Example 4
Follow the full solution, then compare it with the other examples linked below.
Example 4
mediumChlorine-35 and chlorine-37 are both chlorine. What is different about them, and what stays the same?
Solution
- 1 They have the same number of protons, so they are both chlorine and have the same atomic number.
- 2 They differ in neutron count, which gives them different mass numbers: chlorine-35 has 18 neutrons and chlorine-37 has 20 neutrons.
Answer
They differ in neutrons and mass number, but they have the same number of protons and are the same element.
Isotopes are versions of the same element with different neutron counts. That changes the mass but not the basic chemical identity of the element.
About Isotope
Atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, giving them different mass numbers.
Learn more about Isotope →More Isotope Examples
Example 1 easy
Carbon has three naturally occurring isotopes: [formula], [formula], and [formula]. How many protons
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