Thanks for the answer.
I ask If one proton and one neutron are added to the nucleus of a nitrogen atom, which atom will the new nucleus look like?
And you gave me the answer: The new atom would be oxygen, isotope 16.
Could you please explain to me how.
http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/communication/willson/nucleus.gif
Sure! I'd be happy to explain.
To figure out which atom the new nucleus would resemble, we need to look at the elements in the periodic table and understand their atomic structure.
A nitrogen atom typically has 7 protons and 7 neutrons in its nucleus, giving it an atomic number of 7. This means the nitrogen atom has 7 protons in its nucleus, which determine its identity as nitrogen.
Now, if we add one proton and one neutron to the nucleus, we'll end up with 8 protons and 8 neutrons. Remember, the number of protons determines the element, so by adding a proton, we change the element. In this case, we change from nitrogen (atomic number 7) to a new element with atomic number 8.
Looking at the periodic table, we see that oxygen has an atomic number of 8. Therefore, when we add one proton and one neutron to the nucleus of a nitrogen atom, the new nucleus will resemble oxygen.
Additionally, the isotope number you mentioned refers to the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. Oxygen-16 means that the nucleus of the oxygen atom contains 8 protons and 8 neutrons, which adds up to 16.
So to summarize, by adding one proton and one neutron to the nucleus of a nitrogen atom, the new nucleus will resemble oxygen with an isotope number of 16.