Name: Joe W.
Status: student
Grade: 9-12
Location:IL
Country: N/A
Date: 5/9/2005
Question:
How do you find neutrons in a Isotope?
Replies:
The usual way is to measure the atomic weight of the element. The number
of protons determines the chemical nature of the element. There are a
number ways to measure the atomic weight, the most accurate being mass
spectrometry, which separates atoms according to their mass number (more
precisely mass / charge ratio (m/e)). The difference is the number of
neutrons present in the nucleus.
Vince Calder
Joe - subtract atomic number from atomic weight.
The atomic weight of the isotope is the number of protons plus neutrons.
The atomic number is the number of protons, period.
So [atomic weight] - [atomic number] = [number of neutrons]
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