knowt logo

Isotopes and Ions

Atoms- the base unit of any element, smallest piece of an element that still has the qualities of the element

Electrons- negatively charged particle that orbits the nucleus of an atom

Protons- positively charged particle located in the nucleus of an atom

Ions- charged atoms

Cations- positively charged atoms/ions

  • lost electrons (more protons than electrons meaning more positive charges)

Anions- negatively charged atoms/ions

  • gained electrons (more electrons than protons meaning more negative charges)

Atoms can lose/gain electrons only in chemical reactions when it steals an electron from/an electron is stolen by another atom/ion

Neutrons- have a neutral charge and make up the nucleus with the protons

  • all elements have neutrons except hydrogen since it only has one proton

  • elements can vary in amounts of protons

  • amount of neutrons effects the atoms atomic mass

Mass number: the amount of protons + neutrons in an atom

Isotopes: atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons

  • each has different atomic mass depending on the amount of neutrons

  • does not affect how the element chemically reacts

Atomic mass: how much stuff in the atom measured in amu

  • weighted average of the atomic mass of each isotope of that element

To find average atomic mass:

  • relative atomic mass of 1 isotope x percent abundance = weighted score

do this for each isotope, then add the weighted scores to get the atomic mass

Example:

Isotope

Mass (mass number if don’t have actual mass)

Percent Abundance

Weighted Score

Carbon - 12

12

98.89

11.87

Carbon - 13

13

1.11

0.14

Carbon - 14

14

0.01

0.00

Atomic Mass of Carbon:

12.01

How to write isotopes:

element name - mass number

Element symbol:

  • mass number

  • atomic number

  • element symbol

Carbon- 14 symbol:

Isotopes and Ions

Atoms- the base unit of any element, smallest piece of an element that still has the qualities of the element

Electrons- negatively charged particle that orbits the nucleus of an atom

Protons- positively charged particle located in the nucleus of an atom

Ions- charged atoms

Cations- positively charged atoms/ions

  • lost electrons (more protons than electrons meaning more positive charges)

Anions- negatively charged atoms/ions

  • gained electrons (more electrons than protons meaning more negative charges)

Atoms can lose/gain electrons only in chemical reactions when it steals an electron from/an electron is stolen by another atom/ion

Neutrons- have a neutral charge and make up the nucleus with the protons

  • all elements have neutrons except hydrogen since it only has one proton

  • elements can vary in amounts of protons

  • amount of neutrons effects the atoms atomic mass

Mass number: the amount of protons + neutrons in an atom

Isotopes: atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons

  • each has different atomic mass depending on the amount of neutrons

  • does not affect how the element chemically reacts

Atomic mass: how much stuff in the atom measured in amu

  • weighted average of the atomic mass of each isotope of that element

To find average atomic mass:

  • relative atomic mass of 1 isotope x percent abundance = weighted score

do this for each isotope, then add the weighted scores to get the atomic mass

Example:

Isotope

Mass (mass number if don’t have actual mass)

Percent Abundance

Weighted Score

Carbon - 12

12

98.89

11.87

Carbon - 13

13

1.11

0.14

Carbon - 14

14

0.01

0.00

Atomic Mass of Carbon:

12.01

How to write isotopes:

element name - mass number

Element symbol:

  • mass number

  • atomic number

  • element symbol

Carbon- 14 symbol:

robot