Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Note on Mass Number

Introduction to the mass number:

Mass number is the total of the number of protons and the number of neutrons in an atom. The number of protons in an atom is atomic number. For example, a uranium atom that has 92 protons and a mass number of 238.

The Mass Number is Used to Calculate the Number Of

Atomic mass number is unique for an element or each isotope of an element. When we subtract the atomic mass number from the atomic number. We get the number of neutrons (N) in a nucleus: N=A−Z

Mass number can be used to calculate the number of neutrons. This can also help us on 5th grade math. If there is a reaction which forms isotopes of an element or a different element, the mass number of the resultant element can be calculated using the mass number of the initial element.

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