Question
A copper wire is made of copper (Cu) atoms. Which of the following best describes the copper atoms?
A.
They are all exactly the same.
B.
They are all basically the same, but the number of neutrons could vary.
C.
They each have different numbers of protons, neutrons, and electrons.
D.
They would be mostly the same, but some would have more protons than others.
A.
They are all exactly the same.
B.
They are all basically the same, but the number of neutrons could vary.
C.
They each have different numbers of protons, neutrons, and electrons.
D.
They would be mostly the same, but some would have more protons than others.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The best description of the copper atoms in a copper wire is:
**B. They are all basically the same, but the number of neutrons could vary.**
This is because all copper atoms have the same number of protons (29), which defines them as copper, but they can have different numbers of neutrons, leading to the existence of various isotopes of copper (e.g., Cu-63 and Cu-65). The number of electrons in a neutral copper atom also remains the same as the number of protons.
**B. They are all basically the same, but the number of neutrons could vary.**
This is because all copper atoms have the same number of protons (29), which defines them as copper, but they can have different numbers of neutrons, leading to the existence of various isotopes of copper (e.g., Cu-63 and Cu-65). The number of electrons in a neutral copper atom also remains the same as the number of protons.