Consider the following isotopic symbol: 137ba2+
a. explain how to find the number of protons
b. explain how to find the number of electrons
c. explain how to find the number of neutrons
d. the atomic number is not shown in the symbol. why isn't it needed?
e. how would you write the name of this isotope?
f. is the 137 the atomic mass or the mass number? explain your answer.

a) 56 protons

b) 54 electrons

c) 81 neutrons

d) The sum of protons and neutrons is shown. The number of protons is always the same. So we can calculate the number of neutrons ( and also the isotopes)

e)137Ba (with 56 protons and 81 neutrons)

f) atomic mass is 136.9 u ; the mass number is the sum of protons and neutrons and is 137

Explanation:

Step 1: Data given

137 Ba2+ is an isotope of barium. The atomic number of barium( and its isotopes) is 56. This shows the number of protons.

For a neutral atom, the number of protons is equal to the number of electrons.

The different isotopes of an element have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons.

137Ba2+ has 56 protons (this is the same as the atomic number)

137Ba2+ has 54 electrons ( since it's Ba2+, this means it has 2 electrons less than protons, that's why it's charged +2)

137Ba2+ has 81 neutrons ( 137 - 56 = 81)

In the symbol, the atomic number is not shown. The sum of the protons and neutrons is shown. (Since the number of protons is the same for every isotope, we can calculate the number of neutrons that way. By knowing the neutrons, we also know the isotope.

This isotope is 137Ba

Atomic mass is also known as atomic weight. The atomic mass is the weighted average mass of an atom of an element based on the relative natural abundance of that element's isotopes.

The atomic mass of 137Ba2+ is 136.9 u

The mass number is a count of the total number of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus.

The mass number of 137Ba2+ is 137