Isotopes of chlorine have the same number of electrons but differ in the number of neutrons. Why?

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Solution

Chlorine has two isotopes, ³⁵Cl₁₇ and ³⁷Cl₁₇.
Both isotopes have the same atomic number 17 and hence they have the same number of protons.
As the number of protons are same so the number of electrons will also be the same as these are electrically neutral species.
They differ only in their mass numbers and as mass number equals number of protons and neutrons, the isotopes differ in the number of neutrons.

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(a) same number of neutrons but different number of protons

(b) same number of neutrons but different number of electrons

(d) different number of neutrons but same number of protons

Question 07

Two atoms are said to be isobars if ?

(a) They have same atomic number but different mass number

(b) They have same number of electrons but different number of neutrons

(d) Sum of the number of protons and neutrons is same but the number of protons is different

_{6}^{13} C

_{6}^{14} C

Two elements having same number of protons and electrons but different number of neutrons

Nuclei with the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons are called isobars

Nuclei with the same number of neutrons but a different atomic number are called isotopes

Nuclei with the same mass number are called isotones

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