Admin Why do atoms have different atomic numbers?
Neutral atoms of an element contain an equal number of protons and electrons. The number of protons determines an element’s atomic number (Z) and distinguishes one element from another. The number of neutrons can vary to produce isotopes, which are atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons.
How can 2 atoms of an element be different?
Two atoms of the same element can be different if their electrons are in different states. If one copper atom has an electron in an excited state and another copper atom has all of its electrons in the ground state, then the two atoms are different.
What must be the same if two atoms represent the same element?
Two atoms always represent the same element if they have the same number of protons. The number of protons defines a chemical element. Isotopes have the same number of protons; different numbers of neutrons.
What contains atoms with the same atomic number?
Element: A substance composed of atoms all of which have the same atomic number, i.e. the same number of protons in the nucleus, and thus the same number of electrons. The atomic number defines the element.
What two atoms have the same mass?
Atoms of an element with the same mass number make up an isotope of the element. Different isotopes of the same element cannot have the same mass number, but isotopes of different elements often do have the same mass number, e.g., carbon-14 (6 protons and 8 neutrons) and nitrogen-14 (7 protons and 7 neutrons).
Are atoms of different elements different and have different properties?
Explanation: Atoms of different elements have different nuclear charges, i.e. different atomic numbers necessarily, and different numbers of electrons. They thus have (i) different physical properties, and (ii) vastly different chemical properties.
What are atoms with the same atomic number but different?
Quick Answer. Atoms that have the same atomic number but different atomic masses are called isotopes. The difference in mass arises due to the atoms containing a different number of neutrons for the same number of protons.
Can a chemical element have the same number of neutrons?
The same chemical element can have a different number of neutrons and still be the same element. We refer to the atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons as “isotopes”. While the particular isotope involved does not affect how an atom will react chemically, it does determine how the atom will behave in nuclear reactions.
What makes up the atomic mass of an element?
The protons and neutrons are the heaviest subatomic particles and constitute the entire atomic mass of an element. When two atoms have the same number of protons, they are said to be from the same element. However, if they differ in atomic mass,…