Very Short Question and Answers - Isotopes and Isobars

Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have the same atomic number but different mass numbers.

The atomic number of all isotopes of hydrogen is 1.

The three isotopes of hydrogen are Protium (H-1), Deuterium (H-2 or D), and Tritium (H-3 or T).

Isotopes differ from each other in their mass numbers, which is due to differing numbers of neutrons in their nuclei.

Examples of isotopes for carbon are Carbon-12 (C-12) and Carbon-14 (C-14).

Isobars are atoms of different elements that have the same mass number but different atomic numbers.

An example of isobars is Calcium (Ca, atomic number 20) and Argon (Ar, atomic number 18) both having a mass number of 40.

The chemical properties of isotopes are similar because they have the same number of electrons.

The average atomic mass of chlorine based on its isotopes is 35.5 u.

No, a single atom of chlorine cannot have a mass of 35.5 u; this is the average mass of a sample containing a mixture of isotopes.

An isotope of uranium is used as fuel in nuclear reactors.

An isotope of cobalt is used in the treatment of cancer.

An isotope of iodine is used in the treatment of goitre.

Protium (H): 1 proton, 0 neutrons; Deuterium (D): 1 proton, 1 neutron; Tritium (T): 1 proton, 2 neutrons.

Nucleons refer to the combined total of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus.

The electronic configuration of Carbon-12 is 1s² 2s² 2p².

The electronic configuration of Argon is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶.

While isotopes have similar chemical properties, they may have different physical properties such as density and boiling and melting points.

The average atomic mass is calculated based on the relative abundance of each isotope present in nature.

The mass number of an isotope is determined by the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus.