Which isotope is represented by an oxygen atom with 10 neutrons?

• A. Oxygen-18 (^{18}O)
• B. Oxygen-15 (^{15}O)
• C. Oxygen-16 (^{16}O)
• D. Oxygen-17 (^{17}O)

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that the isotope of an element is determined by the total number of protons and neutrons in its nucleus, which is called the mass number (A).
2. Identify the number of protons in an oxygen atom. Since oxygen has an atomic number (Z) of 8, it has 8 protons.
3. Use the relationship between mass number, protons, and neutrons: \(A = Z + N\), where \(N\) is the number of neutrons.
4. Given that the oxygen atom has 10 neutrons, calculate the mass number: \(A = 8 + 10\).
5. Express the isotope notation as \(^{A}O\), where \(A\) is the mass number found in the previous step.