Consider the following atoms: 16O, 18O, 18F, and 18Ne. Which are isotopes? 18O, 18F, and 18Ne 16O, 18F, and 18Ne 18F, and 18Ne 16O and 18O

Break Down the Problem

1. Identify the definitions of isotopes.
2. Determine the atomic number and mass number of each atom listed (16O, 18O, 18F, and 18Ne).
3. Assess which atoms share the same atomic number but have different mass numbers.

Relevant Concepts

• Isotopes are different forms of the same element that have the same number of protons (atomic number) but different numbers of neutrons (and thus different mass numbers).

Analysis and Detail

• 16O (Oxygen-16) has an atomic number of 8 (8 protons) and a mass number of 16 (8 protons + 8 neutrons).
• 18O (Oxygen-18) has an atomic number of 8 and a mass number of 18 (8 protons + 10 neutrons).
• 18F (Fluorine-18) has an atomic number of 9 (9 protons) and a mass number of 18.
• 18Ne (Neon-18) has an atomic number of 10 (10 protons) and a mass number of 18.

Verify and Summarize

• Oxygen-16 and Oxygen-18 are both isotopes of oxygen (same atomic number, different mass numbers).
• 18F and 18Ne are different elements with different atomic numbers and therefore do not qualify as isotopes of each other or with oxygen.

Final Answer

The isotopes among the options are 16O and 18O.