2.3 Elements, Isotopes & Relative Atomic Mass

Question 1

What are isotopes?

Answer 1

Isotopes are different forms of the same element, which have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons

Question 2

Why do Isotopes have the same atomic number?

Answer 2

Because they contain the same amount of protons as different types of the element and atomic number represents proton number. Also, if they had different atomic numbers, they’d be different elements altogether

Question 3

What is ‘relative atomic mass’?

Answer 3

The average mass of all the isotopes that make up an element

Question 4

What is the equation to find the relative atomic mass?

Answer 4

Sum of (isotope abundance x isotope mass) / sum of abundance of all isotopes