Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Isotopic Symbol
The isotopic symbol represents a specific isotope of an element, denoted by the element's chemical symbol along with its mass number as a superscript and atomic number as a subscript. For example, in the symbol 19879Au, 'Au' stands for gold, '79' is the atomic number indicating the number of protons, and '198' is the mass number, which is the total number of protons and neutrons.
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Atomic Number
The atomic number is a fundamental property of an element that defines its identity, representing the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom. It determines the element's position in the periodic table and its chemical behavior. For instance, gold (Au) has an atomic number of 79, meaning it has 79 protons and, in a neutral atom, 79 electrons.
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Calculate Oxidation Numbers
Mass Number
The mass number is the total count of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus, providing a measure of the atom's mass. It is crucial for distinguishing between different isotopes of the same element, which have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. In the case of 19879Au, the mass number is 198, indicating that the isotope has 79 protons and 119 neutrons (198 - 79 = 119).
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