Isotopes are atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. Most elements have more than one isotope.The mass number of an isotope is the number of neutrons and protons and is represented by the letter A. The atomic number is represented by the symbol Z.Isotopes of the same element have slightly different physical properties.Higher mass isotopes have higher melting and boiling points and higher densities.
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Specification: AQA Chemistry (7404), AS-level, 3.1.1.2 Mass number and isotopes. Topic: Atomic Structure.
Key terms in this lesson
- Atomic number
- The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.
- Mass number
- The number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.
More in Atomic Structure
- Discovery of the Atom
- Structure of the Atom
- Relative Mass and Relative Charge
- Atomic Number and Mass Number
- Isotopes of Carbon
- Electrons
- Electron Shells
- The Mass Spectrometer
All 22 lessons in Atomic Structure · All AQA AS-level Chemistry topics