Question

Lithium has two stable isotopes, lithium-6 and lithium-7. The atomic number of lithium is 3. Explain how the two are the same and how they are different. ​

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

The two isotopes of lithium given are similar in the sense that they have the same atomic number which is 3.

Every kind of an atom of an element have the same atomic number. Atomic number is the number of protons in an atom.

The atoms are different in that they have different mass number because the number of protons they contain are different.

So for isotopes;

• They have the same electronic configuration
• They have similar chemical properties
• But their masses differs
• Their abundance in nature also differs.