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QuestionChemistry

Determine the relationship between Argon- 40 and Argon- 41. A. They are different elements. B. They are the same atom, not isotopes of each other. C. They are isotopes.
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Answer

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Step 1:
: Understand the problem

To determine the relationship between Argon- 40 and Argon- 41, we need to compare their atomic structures and identify if they are different elements, the same element in different states, or isotopes of each other.

Step 2:
: Compare atomic numbers

Argon- 40 has an atomic number of 18, while Argon- 41 has an atomic number of 18 as well. This means they contain the same number of protons and are, therefore, the same element.

Step 3:
: Compare mass numbers

Argon- 40 has a mass number of 40, which is the sum of its protons and neutrons. Argon- 41 has a mass number of 41, indicating that it has one more neutron than Argon- 40.

Step 4:
: Determine if they are isotopes

Isotopes are variants of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons but the same number of protons. Since Argon- 40 and Argon- 41 have the same number of protons (18) but different numbers of neutrons (40 vs. 41), they are isotopes of each other.

Final Answer

C. They are isotopes.