Which isotope of sulfur has 16 neutrons?

• A. S-36
• B. S-32
• C. S-33
• D. S-34

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that the number of neutrons in an isotope is given by the difference between the mass number (A) and the atomic number (Z): \(\text{neutrons} = A - Z\).
2. Identify the atomic number of sulfur (S), which is 16. This means every sulfur atom has 16 protons.
3. For each isotope, subtract the atomic number (16) from the mass number to find the number of neutrons:
4. Calculate neutrons for S-32: \$32 - 16 = 16\( neutrons; for S-33: \)33 - 16 = 17\( neutrons; for S-34: \)34 - 16 = 18\( neutrons; for S-36: \)36 - 16 = 20$ neutrons.
5. Compare the neutron counts to find which isotope has exactly 16 neutrons. The isotope with mass number 32 matches this condition.