Aluminium has an atomic number of 13 and mass number of 27 - OCR Gateway - GCSE Chemistry: Combined Science - Question 13 - 2019 - Paper 9
Question 13
Aluminium has an atomic number of 13 and mass number of 27.
(i) Describe the nucleus of an aluminium atom in terms of sub-atomic particles.
(ii) What is the overal... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Aluminium has an atomic number of 13 and mass number of 27 - OCR Gateway - GCSE Chemistry: Combined Science - Question 13 - 2019 - Paper 9
Step 1
Describe the nucleus of an aluminium atom in terms of sub-atomic particles.
96%
114 rated
Only available for registered users.
Sign up now to view full answer, or log in if you already have an account!
Answer
The nucleus of an aluminium atom consists of protons and neutrons. Specifically, it contains 13 protons, which defines the atomic number, and 14 neutrons, since the mass number is 27 (27 - 13 = 14).
Step 2
What is the overall charge on the nucleus of an atom of aluminium?
99%
104 rated
Only available for registered users.
Sign up now to view full answer, or log in if you already have an account!
Answer
The overall charge on the nucleus of an atom of aluminium is positive because it contains positively charged protons. Since there are 13 protons, the charge is +13.
Step 3
Which sub-atomic particles surround the nucleus?
96%
101 rated
Only available for registered users.
Sign up now to view full answer, or log in if you already have an account!
Answer
The sub-atomic particles that surround the nucleus are electrons. In the case of aluminium, there are 13 electrons, which orbit the nucleus in electron shells.
Step 4
Is the student correct?
98%
120 rated
Only available for registered users.
Sign up now to view full answer, or log in if you already have an account!
Answer
No, the student is not correct. Phosphorus is not an isotope of aluminium. Isotopes are variants of the same element with different numbers of neutrons. Phosphorus and aluminium are different elements with distinct atomic numbers (phosphorus has an atomic number of 15). Therefore, they cannot be isotopes of one another.
Join the GCSE students using SimpleStudy...
97% of Students
Report Improved Results
98% of Students
Recommend to friends
100,000+
Students Supported
1 Million+
Questions answered
Other GCSE Chemistry: Combined Science topics to explore
