Question

Two stable isotopes of nitrogen exist. One isotope has a mass number of 14 (14N) and the other has a mass number of 15 (15N). How many neutrons does each of these isotopes have?

Answer 1

¹⁴N has 7 neutrons and ¹⁵N has 8 neutrons

Step-by-step explanation:

Nitrogen is a chemical element that belongs to the group 15 of the periodic table. It is a p-block element with an atomic number 7.

There are two stable isotopes of nitrogen: ¹⁴N and ¹⁵N

For ¹⁴N : mass number: A = 14, atomic number = number of protons : Z = 7

For ¹⁵N : mass number: A = 15, atomic number = number of protons : Z = 7

Since, mass number (A) = number of protons (Z) + number of neutrons (N)

⇒ N = A - Z

Therefore, the number of neutrons for ¹⁴N = 14 - 7 = 7

and the number of neutrons for ¹⁵N = 15 - 7 = 8