What is the correct isotope symbol for an atom with 23 protons, 23 electrons, and 27 neutrons?

To identify the correct isotope symbol for an atom, we need to determine its atomic number and mass number.

The atomic number is defined by the number of protons in the nucleus of the atom. In this case, the atom has 23 protons, which means its atomic number is 23.

The mass number is calculated by adding the number of protons and neutrons together. Here, we have:

Mass number = Number of protons + Number of neutrons = 23 + 27 = 50.

Now, we can formulate the isotope symbol. The conventional representation of an isotope is Element symbol (mass number) with the atomic number as a subscript:

Element symbol for atomic number 23 is V (Vanadium).

Therefore, the correct isotope symbol is:

23V50

This indicates that we have a Vanadium atom with a mass number of 50, which corresponds to having 23 protons and 27 neutrons.

More Related Questions