How do the isotopes of Cu-63 and Cu-65 differ from each other? Write nuclear symbols for both.

Short Answer

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Answer: The nuclear symbols for the isotopes Cu-63 and Cu-65 are \(latex _{29}^{63}\text{Cu}\) and \(latex _{29}^{65}\text{Cu}\), respectively. Cu-63 has 34 neutrons and Cu-65 has 36 neutrons in their nuclei.

Step by step solution

01

Understand isotopes

Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei. Since they have the same number of protons, they share the same atomic number, but their mass numbers, which are the sum of their protons and neutrons, differ.
02

Determine atomic number and mass numbers

Copper (Cu) has an atomic number of 29, which means there are 29 protons in its nucleus. For its isotopes, Cu-63 and Cu-65, the mass numbers are given as 63 and 65, respectively.
03

Calculate neutrons in each isotope

To find the number of neutrons in each isotope, we subtract the atomic number (29) from their mass numbers: For Cu-63: Number of neutrons = 63 - 29 = 34 For Cu-65: Number of neutrons = 65 - 29 = 36
04

Write nuclear symbols for both isotopes

To write the nuclear symbols for the isotopes, we use the form "Element symbol - Mass number". However, in a more detailed form, we can represent them as: \(latex _{Z}^{A}\text{X}\), where Z is the atomic number, A is the mass number and X is the element symbol. Cu-63: \(latex _{29}^{63}\text{Cu}\) Cu-65: \(latex _{29}^{65}\text{Cu}\)

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