What is the atomic number of most atoms of oxygen? What is the mass number of most atoms of oxygen?

1 Answer
anor277
Mar 8, 2016

#Z#, the atomic number of ALL oxygen atoms is #8#. Most oxygen is the #""^16O# isotope.

Explanation:

The atomic number, the number of massive, positively-charged nuclear particles, defines the identity of the element. #Z# #=# #6#, the element is carbon, #Z# #=# #7#, the element is nitrogen, BUT #Z# #=# #8#, the element is OXYGEN.

The oxygen nucleus usually contains #8# neutrons (so #""^16O# is the most common isotope), but #""^17O# and #""^18O# are stable. (How many neutrons does each species contain?)

The thing to remember is the atomic number, #Z#. #Z# defines the identity of the element. In fact you don't even have to remember #Z#, as a Periodic Table will be supplied in all your examinations.

How does oxygen occur in the natural world?

Related questions
See all questions in Atomic Number
Impact of this question
5358 views around the world
You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License