Question
Which of the following should a student select to correctly represent an isotope of
?
Ask by Norton Long. in the United States
Dec 19,2024
Upstudy AI Solution
Tutor-Verified Answer
Answer
El isótopo de potasio-39 se representa como
.
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Bonus Knowledge
An isotope of an element is characterized by the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons. For potassium, which has an atomic number of 19,
has 19 protons and 20 neutrons (39 total nucleons - 19 protons = 20 neutrons). This means any isotope representation must maintain the atomic number (19) but can have different mass numbers by varying the neutrons.
One alternative isotope could be
, representing potassium with one extra neutron (40 total nucleons). Another example is
, indicating potassium with one less neutron. They would still be considered isotopes of potassium due to having the same proton count!