Which of the following is true about the two isotopes, sulfur-36 and argon-36?
Select all that apply.
They have the same atomic number.
Argon-36 has more protons.
Sulfur-36 has more neutrons.
They will be chemically identical.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answers are:
- They have the same atomic number.
- Sulfur-36 has more neutrons.
Explanation:
Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons. In this case, sulfur-36 and argon-36 are two different elements, sulfur and argon, each with the same atomic mass number (36), but they differ in their atomic number and number of protons.
- Same Atomic Number: This is false. Sulfur and argon are different elements, meaning they have different atomic numbers. Sulfur has an atomic number of 16, while argon has an atomic number of 18. The atomic number corresponds to the number of protons in an atom, so sulfur-36 and argon-36 cannot have the same atomic number.
- Argon-36 has more protons: This is true. Argon has an atomic number of 18, meaning it has 18 protons, whereas sulfur has an atomic number of 16, meaning it only has 16 protons. Therefore, argon-36 has more protons than sulfur-36.
- Sulfur-36 has more neutrons: This is true. Both isotopes have a mass number of 36. The mass number is the sum of the protons and neutrons in an atom. Since sulfur-36 has 16 protons (atomic number), it must have 36 – 16 = 20 neutrons. Argon-36, on the other hand, has 18 protons, so it must have 36 – 18 = 18 neutrons. Therefore, sulfur-36 has more neutrons than argon-36.
- They will be chemically identical: This is false. While isotopes of the same element behave similarly in many chemical reactions, sulfur and argon are different elements altogether, meaning they will not be chemically identical. Argon is a noble gas, while sulfur is a non-metal that forms a variety of compounds. Thus, they have distinct chemical behaviors.