Atomic Symbol, Atomic

Mass and Isotopes

 Atomic Symbol
❖ Atomic number (Z) is the number of protons in the nucleus
of each atom of an element.
• All atoms of a particular element have the same number
of protons in their nucleus.
• In a neutral atom the number of protons is equal to the
number of electrons, so the atomic number also
indicates the number of electrons present in the atom
Atomic no. = no. of protons = no. of electrons
• Example: Copper atom has 29 protons in its nucleus
atomic number of copper = 29
number of electrons of copper = 29
 Atomic Symbol
❖ Mass number (A) is the total number of neutrons and
protons present in the nucleus of an atom of an element.
• It is an estimate of the mass of an atom
• The mass of the electrons are not considered because it
is so small that they never affect the atomic mass
mass number = number of protons + number of neutrons
number of neutrons = mass number - number of protons
• Example: a copper atom that has 29 protons and 34
neutrons,
➢ mass number of copper = 29 protons + 34 neutrons
➢ mass number of copper = 63
 Atomic Symbol
❖ Each element has its own unique one- or two-letter
symbol and defined by the number of protons its
atoms contain.
Example:
• the lead (Pb) atom might be represented by
the symbol 208Pb or the alternative notation
lead-208

Name of Atomic atomic number of number of mass

element symbol number protons neutrons number
40
Ca 40-20=
Calcium 20 20 20 40
20
197
79 Au 197-79=
Gold-197 79 79 197
118
80 80-35=
Bromine 35 Br 35 35 80
45
11-5=
Boron-11 11
B 5 5 11
5 6
 Isotopes
❖ Isotopes are atoms of the same element (same atomic number) but
different number of neutrons or different mass number.
❖ Example: Isotopes of Carbon

❖ Isotopes of Hydrogen
 Atomic Mass
❖ Atomic mass (sometimes called atomic weight) is the mass of the atom in
atomic mass units or amu.
• The mass of an atom depends on the number of electrons, protons,
and neutrons it contains. Since the mass of the atom is very very
small, chemist compare all atoms to one standard atom which is the
carbon-12
• 1 amu = 1/12 the mass of one carbon-12 atom
• 1 amu = mass of proton = 1.67 x 10-24 g

❖ Average atomic mass (also known as atomic weight) of an element is the

weighted average of all the element's isotopes based on their natural
abundance or percent abundance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbSivfMIMu8
 Isotopes and Atomic Mass
❖ Natural abundance or percent abundance is the proportion of atoms of each
isotope in a natural sample of an element or the percentage of atoms of a
particular isotope.
❖ To calculate atomic mass , we must know :
• The masses of individual isotopes
• The isotopic abundances (percentages)
Average atomic mass = Σ(atomic mass of isotope x % abundance in decimal)

❖ Consider, element Y that consists of isotopes Y1 with percent abundance of

%Y1 , Y2 with abundance % Y2, Y3 with abundance %Y3

❖ Average atomic mass, Y = [atomic mass Y1 x (% Y1/100)] +

[atomic mass Y2 x (% Y2/100)] +
[atomic mass Y3 x (%Y3/100 )]
 Isotopes and Atomic Mass
Example 1:
Determine the atomic weight of silicon using the following data for the percent
natural abundance and mass of each isotope:
• 92.23% 28Si (27.9769 amu);
• 4.67% 29Si (28.9765 amu);

• 3.10% 30Si (29.9738 amu).

Solution:
Average atomic mass = Σ(atomic mass of isotope x % abundance in decimal)

Atomic wt. = [27.9769 x (92.23/100)] + [28.9765 x (4.67/100)] + [29.9738 x 3.10/100)]

Atomic wt = 28.0855 amu
 Isotopes and Atomic Mass
Example 2:
• Naturally occurring chlorine has an average atomic mass of 35.453 amu. 75.53%
35Cl has an atomic mass of 34.969 amu and 24.47 % 37Cl. Calculate the atomic

mass of 37Cl.
• Solution:
Average atomic mass = Σ(atomic mass of isotope x % abundance in decimal)

let Y = atomic mass of 37Cl

35.453 amu = [34.969 amu x (75.53/100)] + [ Y x (24.47/100)]
35.453 amu = 26.412 amu + 0.2447 Y
Y = (35.453 - 26.412) / 0.2447
Y = 36.947 amu
 Applications of Isotopes
❖ Note that not all isotopes are stable

• Brain imaging with iodine-123

• Atomic bomb made of uranium-235

• Carbon-14 dating of the Lascaux

Cave Paintings
Uses of Some Known Isotopes
Isotopes, Isobars, Isotones and Allotropes
• Isotopes - elements having same atomic number but different mass
number because they have different number of neutrons.
➢ Chemically the same but physically different
➢ Examples: Isotopes of Lithium: Isotopes of Neon:
Lithium – 6 Neon – 20 Neon - 22
Lithium - 7 Neon – 21

• Isobars - atoms of different elements having the same atomic mass

but different atomic number.
➢ physically the same but chemically different
➢ Examples:
Isotopes, Isobars, Isotones and Allotropes
• Isotones - elements having the same number of neutrons
➢ Examples:
Chlorine - 37 and Potassium – 39
Both have 20 neutrons in their nuclei.

• Allotropes - forms of the same element which exhibit different physical

properties due to different arrangement of atoms or molecules.
➢ Examples: allotropes of oxygen : molecular oxygen (O2) and ozone (O3)
allotropes of carbon : graphite and diamond
Isotopes, Isobars, Isotones and Allotropes
• Classify whether isobars, isotopes or isotones