Consider the following atoms in which X represents the chemical symbol of the element: 16 8 X 16 9 X 18 10 X 17 8 X 18 8 X c. Which atoms have the same mass number?

Hello. In this problem, we're told the chemical symbol of the element is represented by X in the hypothetical atoms list below identify which hypothetical atoms have equal mass numbers. So our isotope symbol we have X, which is stated in this problem is the chemical symbol in the upper left hand corner, we have a, which represents the mass number. In the lower left hand corner, we have Z which represents the atomic number in the five hypothetical atoms that we've been provided. The first one has a mass number of 1 15 and an atomic number of 49. The second one has a mass number of 1 16 and an atomic number of 49. The third one has a mass number of 1 15 and an atomic number of 46. The fourth one has a mass number of 1 15 and an atomic number of 50. And the last hypothetical atom that were provided has a mass number of 1 and an atomic number of 46. So we're looking for which of the hypothetical atoms have equal mass numbers. So that is again, the number in the upper left hand corner. You see that three of them have a mass number of 115. So that would be the first one that we are provided. The third one and the fourth one, these then correspond with answer. A thanks for watching. Hope this helped.

Table of contents

Skip topic navigation

1. Matter and Measurements4h 31m
2. Atoms and the Periodic Table5h 23m
3. Ionic Compounds2h 18m
4. Molecular Compounds2h 18m
5. Classification & Balancing of Chemical Reactions3h 17m
6. Chemical Reactions & Quantities2h 27m
7. Energy, Rate and Equilibrium3h 46m
8. Gases, Liquids and Solids3h 25m
9. Solutions4h 10m
10. Acids and Bases3h 29m
11. Nuclear Chemistry56m
BONUS: Lab Techniques and Procedures1h 38m
BONUS: Mathematical Operations and Functions47m
12. Introduction to Organic Chemistry1h 34m
13. Alkenes, Alkynes, and Aromatic Compounds2h 12m
14. Compounds with Oxygen or Sulfur1h 6m
15. Aldehydes and Ketones1h 1m
16. Carboxylic Acids and Their Derivatives1h 11m
17. Amines39m
18. Amino Acids and Proteins1h 51m
19. Enzymes1h 37m
20. Carbohydrates1h 41m
21. The Generation of Biochemical Energy2h 8m
22. Carbohydrate Metabolism2h 22m
23. Lipids2h 26m
24. Lipid Metabolism1h 45m
25. Protein and Amino Acid Metabolism1h 37m
26. Nucleic Acids and Protein Synthesis2h 54m

2. Atoms and the Periodic Table

Isotopes

GOB Chemistry

2. Atoms and the Periodic Table

Isotopes

Previous problemNext problem

1:29 minutes

Problem 81c

Textbook Question

Consider the following atoms in which X represents the chemical symbol of the element:
¹⁶₈X ¹⁶₉X ¹⁸₁₀X ¹⁷₈X ¹⁸₈X
c. Which atoms have the same mass number?

Verified step by step guidance

Step 1: Understand the concept of mass number. The mass number is the sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom. It is represented as the superscript number before the chemical symbol (e.g., ¹¹⁵X).

Step 2: Analyze the given atoms. Each atom is represented with its mass number (superscript) and atomic number (subscript). For example, ¹¹⁵₄₉X has a mass number of 115 and an atomic number of 49.

Step 3: Compare the mass numbers of the given atoms. Look for atoms that have the same superscript value, as this indicates they have the same mass number.

Step 4: Identify the atoms with the same mass number. From the image, the atoms ¹¹⁵₄₉X, ¹¹⁵₄₆X, and ¹¹⁵₅₀X all have a mass number of 115.

Step 5: Conclude that the atoms with the same mass number are isotopes of different elements, as they have the same number of nucleons but different atomic numbers.

Verified video answer for a similar problem:

This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above

Video duration:

Play a video:

Was this helpful?

Key Concepts

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

Mass Number

The mass number of an atom is the total number of protons and neutrons in its nucleus. It is represented as the upper left number in the atomic notation (e.g., ¹⁶ in ¹⁶₈X). Atoms with the same mass number have the same total number of nucleons, which can indicate they are isotopes of the same element.

Isotopes

Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, resulting in different mass numbers. For example, the isotopes of element X in the question include ¹⁶₈X and ¹⁸₁₀X, which have different mass numbers but belong to the same element.

Atomic Number

The atomic number of an element is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which determines the element's identity. It is represented as the lower left number in the atomic notation (e.g., ₈ in ¹⁶₈X). Atoms with the same atomic number are the same element, while differing atomic numbers indicate different elements.