Consider an atom of 63 Cu. (c) What is the symbol for the isotope of 63 Cu that possesses 36 neutrons?

Hey everyone in this example, we need to give the correct symbol for the isotope of tantalum with neutrons. So we want to go ahead and recall that to find tantalum on our periodic tables. We want to look for the symbol T. A. Which we recognize corresponds to the atomic number represented by our symbols E. Equal to 73. And we would recall that in a neutral atom, We would have our number of protons. Or sorry, our atomic number equal to our number of protons. So we would say that we have also 73 protons because the prompt does not mention that our isotope has a charge. So we're going to assume we have a neutral atom of tantalum. We want to recall that for our chemical symbol. We have our element represented by an ex. Actually we have our atomic number represented by Z as I stated earlier. And then we have our mass number located here represented by the symbol A. So this is our mass number and this here is our atomic number. We want to recall that our mass number is found By taking our number of protons and adding that to our number of neutrons. And so according to the prompt, we have 108 neutrons which we will add to our neutral isotope which has 73 protons. To get our mass number equal to 181. And so to write are correct chemical symbol for the isotope tantalum. We're going to have T.A.. We're going to have 181 in place of our atomic mass, or mass number, and then we're going to have our atomic number here Of 73 below. And this is going to complete our correct chemical symbol for the isotope tantalum with 108 neutrons. So this is our final answer. If you have any questions, please leave them down below, and I will see everyone in the next practice video.

Ch.2 - Atoms, Molecules, and Ions

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Brown 14th Edition

Ch.2 - Atoms, Molecules, and Ions

Problem 24c

Chapter 2, Problem 24c

Consider an atom of ⁶³Cu. (c) What is the symbol for the isotope of ⁶³Cu that possesses 36 neutrons?

Verified step by step guidance

Identify the given isotope: The isotope is \( ^{63}\text{Cu} \), which means it has a mass number (A) of 63.

Determine the number of protons: Copper (Cu) has an atomic number (Z) of 29, which means it has 29 protons.

Calculate the number of neutrons in the given isotope: The number of neutrons is given by the formula \( \text{Neutrons} = A - Z \). For \( ^{63}\text{Cu} \), this is \( 63 - 29 = 34 \) neutrons.

Identify the isotope with 36 neutrons: To find the isotope with 36 neutrons, use the formula \( A = Z + \text{Neutrons} \). Substitute \( Z = 29 \) and \( \text{Neutrons} = 36 \) to find \( A \).

Write the symbol for the new isotope: Once you have calculated the new mass number (A), write the isotope symbol as \( ^{A}\text{Cu} \).

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Isotopes

Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. This difference in neutron count results in varying atomic masses. For example, copper (Cu) has several isotopes, including 63Cu, which has 29 protons and 34 neutrons. Understanding isotopes is crucial for identifying specific forms of elements based on their neutron count.

Atomic Number and Mass Number

The atomic number of an element is the number of protons in its nucleus, which defines the element itself. The mass number is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. For 63Cu, the atomic number is 29 (indicating 29 protons), and the mass number is 63 (29 protons + 34 neutrons). This relationship is essential for determining the identity and properties of isotopes.

Neutron Count Calculation

To find the neutron count of an isotope, subtract the atomic number from the mass number. In the case of 63Cu, the mass number is 63 and the atomic number is 29, resulting in 34 neutrons. If an isotope has 36 neutrons, its mass number would be 29 (protons) + 36 (neutrons) = 65. This calculation is vital for identifying the correct isotope based on neutron count.