Consider an atom of ¹⁰B. (d) Are either of the atoms obtained in parts (b) and (c) isotopes of ¹⁰B? If so which one?

Key Concepts

Isotopes

Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. This results in different atomic masses for the isotopes. For example, boron has isotopes such as 10B and 11B, where 10B has 5 neutrons and 11B has 6 neutrons. Understanding isotopes is crucial for identifying whether two atoms belong to the same element but differ in mass.

Atomic Number and Mass Number

The atomic number of an element is the number of protons in its nucleus, which defines the element itself. The mass number is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. For boron, the atomic number is 5, and for the isotope 10B, the mass number is 10. This distinction helps in determining whether two atoms are isotopes based on their mass numbers.

Nuclear Stability

Nuclear stability refers to the stability of an atomic nucleus, which is influenced by the ratio of protons to neutrons. Isotopes can be stable or unstable; stable isotopes do not undergo radioactive decay, while unstable ones do. Understanding nuclear stability is important when discussing isotopes, as it can affect their occurrence and applications in fields like medicine and energy.