Write isotopic symbols in the form X-A (e.g., C-13) for each isotope. a. the hydrogen isotope with two neutrons

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the element: The element is hydrogen, which has the chemical symbol 'H'.
2. Determine the number of protons: Hydrogen has 1 proton.
3. Calculate the mass number: The mass number is the sum of protons and neutrons. Here, it is 1 (proton) + 2 (neutrons) = 3.
4. Write the isotopic symbol: Combine the element symbol with the mass number to form the isotopic symbol in the format X-A.
5. The isotopic symbol for the hydrogen isotope with two neutrons is H-3.

Key Concepts

Isotopes

Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. This difference in neutron count results in varying atomic masses for the isotopes of the same element. For example, hydrogen has three isotopes: protium (1 proton, 0 neutrons), deuterium (1 proton, 1 neutron), and tritium (1 proton, 2 neutrons).

Isotopic Notation

Isotopic notation is a way to represent isotopes using the format X-A, where 'X' is the chemical symbol of the element and 'A' is the mass number, which is the sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. For instance, the isotopic symbol for deuterium is written as D-2, indicating it has one proton and one neutron, while tritium is represented as T-3, with one proton and two neutrons.

Mass Number

The mass number of an isotope is the total count of protons and neutrons in its nucleus. It is an important characteristic that distinguishes one isotope from another. For example, in the case of the hydrogen isotope with two neutrons, the mass number would be 1 (proton) + 2 (neutrons) = 3, leading to the isotopic symbol H-3, commonly known as tritium.