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Isotopes

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: OCR Chemistry A (H032), AS-level, 2.1.1 Atomic structure and isotopes. Topic: Atoms, Ions and Compounds.

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.

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