Sodium [tex]\(( Na )\)[/tex] has 11 protons and 12 neutrons. What is its isotope notation?

A. [tex]\(Na -11\)[/tex]
B. [tex]\(Na -12\)[/tex]
C. [tex]\(Na -23\)[/tex]
D. [tex]\(Na -34\)[/tex]



Answer :

To determine the isotope notation for sodium (Na) with 11 protons and 12 neutrons, follow these steps:

1. Identify the number of protons and neutrons:
Sodium has 11 protons and 12 neutrons.

2. Calculate the mass number:
The mass number of an element is the sum of its protons and neutrons.
[tex]\[ \text{Mass Number} = \text{Number of Protons} + \text{Number of Neutrons} \][/tex]
Substituting the provided values:
[tex]\[ \text{Mass Number} = 11 + 12 = 23 \][/tex]

3. Write the isotope notation:
The isotope notation is written as the element's symbol followed by the calculated mass number. For sodium, this would be:
[tex]\[ \text{Na-23} \][/tex]

Based on this calculation, the correct isotope notation for sodium with 11 protons and 12 neutrons is:

[tex]\[ \boxed{C. \, \text{Na-23}} \][/tex]