Argon has three naturally occurring isotopes, with mass numbers 36, 38, and 40. a. Write the atomic symbol for each of these atoms.

Verified step by step guidance

1. insert step 1: Understand that the atomic symbol for an element is written as: ^{A}_{Z}X, where A is the mass number, Z is the atomic number, and X is the chemical symbol.
2. insert step 2: Identify the chemical symbol for Argon, which is 'Ar'.
3. insert step 3: Determine the atomic number (Z) for Argon, which is 18.
4. insert step 4: Write the atomic symbol for each isotope using the mass numbers provided: 36, 38, and 40.
5. insert step 5: Combine the information to write the atomic symbols: ^{36}_{18}Ar, ^{38}_{18}Ar, and ^{40}_{18}Ar.

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 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.

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.

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.