Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
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 mass numbers for the isotopes. For example, argon has three isotopes with mass numbers 36, 38, and 40, indicating the varying neutron counts while maintaining the same atomic number.
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Atomic Symbol
The atomic symbol is a notation that represents a chemical element, consisting of one or two letters derived from its name, often accompanied by the mass number and atomic number. For argon, the atomic symbol is 'Ar', and it can be represented with its isotopes as '36Ar', '38Ar', and '40Ar' to indicate the specific isotopes.
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Periodic Table: Symbols Concept
Mass Number
The mass number of an atom is the total count of protons and neutrons in its nucleus. It is crucial for identifying isotopes, as different isotopes of the same element will have different mass numbers. In the case of argon, the mass numbers 36, 38, and 40 reflect the different combinations of neutrons in each isotope.
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