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Difficulty: EasyAtomic Structure and Periodic Table

In a science laboratory, a technician analyzes a sample of phosphorus represented by the isotope symbol 1531P^{31}_{15}\text{P}. What is the total number of neutrons contained in the nucleus of this phosphorus atom?

  1. A
    1515
  2. 1616Answer
  3. C
    3131
  4. D
    4646

Answer

1616 neutrons
In standard isotopic notation ZAX^{A}_{Z}\text{X}, the superscript (A=31A = 31) is the mass number, representing the combined number of protons and neutrons, while the subscript (Z=15Z = 15) is the atomic number, representing the number of protons. The number of neutrons is found by subtracting the atomic number from the mass number (31−15=1631 - 15 = 16).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the mass number (AA) and atomic number (ZZ) from the isotope notation 1531P^{31}_{15}\text{P}.
A=31A = 31 and Z=15Z = 15.
In standard isotope notation, the upper superscript represents the mass number (AA) and the lower subscript represents the atomic number (ZZ).
2
Calculate the number of neutrons using the relationship Neutrons=A−Z\text{Neutrons} = A - Z.
Neutrons=31−15=16\text{Neutrons} = 31 - 15 = 16.
The mass number equals the total number of protons and neutrons, while the atomic number equals the number of protons.

Key Concept

Calculating the number of neutrons in an atom using standard isotopic notation (A−ZA - Z).
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Atomic Structure and Periodic Table

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