Write isotopic symbols in the form X-A (e.g., C-13) for each isotope. c. the gold isotope with 122 neutrons

Verified step by step guidance

1. insert step 1> Identify the element symbol for gold, which is 'Au'.
2. insert step 2> Determine the atomic number of gold, which is 79. This represents the number of protons in the nucleus.
3. insert step 3> Use the given number of neutrons, which is 122, to find the mass number. The mass number is the sum of protons and neutrons: Mass number = Atomic number + Neutrons.
4. insert step 4> Calculate the mass number: Mass number = 79 (protons) + 122 (neutrons).
5. insert step 5> Write the isotopic symbol in the form X-A, where X is the element symbol and A is the mass number.

Key Concepts

Isotopes

Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. This difference in neutron count results in varying atomic masses for the isotopes of the same element. For example, carbon has isotopes like carbon-12 and carbon-14, which differ in their neutron numbers.

Isotopic Notation

Isotopic notation is a way to represent isotopes using the format X-A, where 'X' is the chemical symbol of the element and 'A' is the mass number, which is the sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. For instance, in the notation C-14, 'C' represents carbon, and '14' indicates that the isotope has a total of 14 nucleons (6 protons and 8 neutrons).

Mass Number

The mass number of an isotope is the total count of protons and neutrons in its nucleus. It is crucial for identifying isotopes and is used in isotopic notation. For example, if a gold isotope has 122 neutrons and gold has 79 protons, its mass number would be 79 + 122 = 201, leading to the isotopic symbol Au-201.