Ask Me Help Desk

Ask Me Help Desk (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forum.php)
-   Chemistry (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=68)
-   -   Understanding Isotopes (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=62972)

  • Feb 14, 2007, 05:48 PM
    meront
    understanding Isotopes
    I am having a problem solving for example
    if Hg atomic # is 204 and atomic mass is 80 what is Proton, neutron, and electron I thought the atomic# is the same as proton so why the answer is 80 is proton is = atomic #
  • Feb 14, 2007, 06:06 PM
    rudi_in
    Thank you for posting your question to the Ask Me Help Desk.

    First of all, we have the information backwards.

    The atomic number would be 80
    and the atomic mass would be 204

    You are right, the atomic number is the same as the number of protons.
    It is also the same as the number of electrons so long as we are talking about a neutral atom.
    The number of neutrons is equal to the mass number minus the atomic number so in this case we get

    204 - 80 = 124

    Mercury-204 has 124 neutrons.

    The mass number represents the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus.

    We don't factor the weight of the electrons because it is so small that it does not contribute to the mass of the atom in a significant way.

    Kind of like finding the mass of an elephant with or without 2 dozen flies on its back. It doesn't really make much difference does it?

  • All times are GMT -7. The time now is 05:08 AM.