Identify each of the following:
c. ¹₀X

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the notation. The given symbol ¹₀X represents a nuclide in nuclear chemistry. The superscript (¹) is the mass number (A), which is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. The subscript (₀) is the atomic number (Z), which is the number of protons in the nucleus.
2. Step 2: Recall that the atomic number (Z) determines the identity of the element. Since the atomic number is 0, this does not correspond to any known element in the periodic table. Instead, this notation is often used to represent a particle, such as a neutron or other subatomic particle.
3. Step 3: Analyze the mass number (A). The mass number is 1, which suggests that the particle has a total mass equivalent to one proton or neutron. Since the atomic number is 0, this indicates that the particle has no protons and is likely a neutron.
4. Step 4: Conclude the identity of the particle. Based on the analysis, ¹₀X represents a neutron, which is a subatomic particle with a mass number of 1 and no charge (atomic number 0).
5. Step 5: Summarize the result. The symbol ¹₀X is used to denote a neutron, a neutral particle found in the nucleus of an atom.

Key Concepts

Nuclear Notation

Nuclear notation is a way of representing atomic nuclei using the format A/Z X, where A is the mass number (total number of protons and neutrons), Z is the atomic number (number of protons), and X is the chemical symbol of the element. In the notation ¹₀X, the '1' represents the mass number, and '0' indicates the atomic number, which helps identify the specific isotope of the 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, in the notation ¹₀X, the mass number of 1 suggests that this isotope has one proton and no neutrons, which is characteristic of a specific isotope of hydrogen known as protium.

Element Identification

Element identification involves determining the specific element represented by a given nuclear notation. In the case of ¹₀X, the atomic number '0' indicates that there are no protons, which corresponds to a theoretical particle rather than a conventional element. This highlights the importance of understanding both the mass number and atomic number in identifying elements and their isotopes.