Question detail

What is the atomic number of an isotope?

Try the question, check the answer, then read the explanation to understand the curriculum point.

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At a glance

MCQ

Type

practice

Style

Topic

Atoms and isotopes

Question

A. The total number of protons and neutrons
B. The number of neutrons in the nucleus
C. The number of protons in the nucleus
D. The number of electrons in the atom

Answer

The number of protons in the nucleus

Explanation

The atomic number is defined as the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which determines the element's identity.

Common mistake

Misidentifying Isotopes

Students often think that isotopes differ in the number of protons rather than neutrons, so they describe isotopes as having different atomic numbers.

Remind that isotopes are atoms of the same element (same atomic number) that have different numbers of neutrons, giving them different mass numbers.

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