How is atomic number different from mass number quizlet?

How is atomic number different from mass number quizlet?

What is the difference between an atom’s atomic number and its mass number? Atomic number (Z) is the # of protons in an atom, while the mass number (A) is the total # of protons and neutrons in an atom. Because the # of protons does not change for each element.

Why is mass number and atomic mass different?

Atomic mass is the weighted average mass of an atom of an element based on the relative natural abundance of that element’s isotopes. The mass number is a count of the total number of protons and neutrons in an atom’s nucleus.

Is atomic number and atomic weight same?

Each atom, therefore, can be assigned both an atomic number (the number of protons equals the number of electrons) and an atomic weight (approximately equaling the number of protons plus the number of neutrons).

What is the difference between atoms that have different atomic numbers?

ISOTOPES AND ATOMIC MASSES For many of the chemical elements there are several known isotopes. Isotopes are atoms with different atomic masses which have the same atomic number. The atoms of different isotopes are atoms of the same chemical element; they differ in the number of neutrons in the nucleus.

Is atomic number and mass number the same Why?

The number of protons determines an element’s atomic number and is used to distinguish one element from another. Together, the number of protons and the number of neutrons determine an element’s mass number.

Why do atoms have different atomic mass?

This number of protons is called the atomic number. The mass of the atom, its atomic mass, depends upon both the number of protons and upon the number of neutrons present in the nucleus (remember that the mass of an electron is so small that it is simply ignored for the purpose of establishing the atomic mass).

Why are mass numbers of atoms different?

The number of neutrons is variable, resulting in isotopes, which are different forms of the same atom that vary only in the number of neutrons they possess. Together, the number of protons and the number of neutrons determine an element’s mass number.