Final answer:
The element with 37 protons is rubidium (Rb), an alkali metal located in group 1 of the periodic table. Its isotopes are determined by adding neutrons to the constant number of protons; for instance, Rb-81 has 44 neutrons and Rb-83 has 46 neutrons.
Step-by-step explanation:
The element that is characterized by having 37 protons in its nucleus is rubidium (Rb). The number of protons in an atom's nucleus, known as the atomic number, uniquely identifies the element. With 37 protons, the element rubidium is located in group 1 of the periodic table, which contains the alkali metals.
Looking at a periodic table, one can find that element 37 is rubidium. If we consider isotopes, these are atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons. For example, the rubidium isotope with 37 protons (therefore 37 electrons in a neutral atom) and 44 neutrons will have a mass number of 81 (37 protons + 44 neutrons) and will be noted as Rb-81. Similarly, the isotope with 46 neutrons will have a mass number of 83 and is denoted as Rb-83.
To provide additional education about isotopes as requested, we can also reference the provided Figure 22.16, which illustrates lithium-7, an isotope with 3 protons and 4 neutrons. Similarly, for rubidium isotopes, we add neutrons to maintain the same number of protons but achieve different mass numbers.