Enter the appropriate symbol for an isotope of phosphorus-32 corresponding to the isotope notation AZX.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct isotope notation for phosphorus-32 is:
[
_{15}^{32}P
]
Explanation:
An isotope notation follows the general format ( _{Z}^{A}X ), where:
- ( A ) is the mass number (the total number of protons and neutrons),
- ( Z ) is the atomic number (the number of protons in the nucleus),
- ( X ) is the chemical symbol of the element.
In the case of phosphorus-32, here is the breakdown:
- Phosphorus (P):
- The atomic number of phosphorus is 15. This means phosphorus has 15 protons in its nucleus, and thus ( Z = 15 ).
- The chemical symbol for phosphorus is ( P ).
- Mass Number (A):
- Phosphorus-32 has a mass number of 32. The mass number is the sum of protons and neutrons in the atom’s nucleus.
- Since the atomic number is 15 (meaning there are 15 protons), the number of neutrons in phosphorus-32 is:
[
32 – 15 = 17 \text{ neutrons}.
]
So, the isotope phosphorus-32 has 15 protons and 17 neutrons, and its isotope notation is ( _{15}^{32}P ).
Isotope vs. Element:
- Isotopes of an element are atoms that have the same number of protons (same element) but different numbers of neutrons. Phosphorus has several isotopes, such as phosphorus-31 and phosphorus-33, each with a different number of neutrons, but phosphorus-32 specifically has 17 neutrons.
Phosphorus-32 is a radioactive isotope, commonly used in molecular biology and medicine, particularly in the study of DNA and in cancer treatments.
Let me generate an image of the isotope notation for phosphorus-32.
Here is the image showing the isotope notation for phosphorus-32. If you need any more details, feel free to ask!
