Question 1

Multiple choiceHard1 mark

An enriched copper sample contains only 2963Cu^{63}_{29}\mathrm{Cu} and 2965Cu^{65}_{29}\mathrm{Cu} Treating the mass numbers as isotope masses, its relative atomic mass is 63.60. Which description gives both their abundances in the sample and the subatomic-particle counts in the corresponding Cu2+\mathrm{Cu}^{2+} ions?

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Answer: B. The abundance-weighted mean gives 63x+65(1−x)=63.6063x+65(1-x)=63.60 so the fraction of 63Cu^{63}\mathrm{Cu} is x=0.70x=0.70 Both isotopes have 29 protons; their neutron numbers are 63−29=3463-29=34 and 65−29=3665-29=36 Each 2+2+ ion has lost two electrons, leaving 27.

A: reverses the abundances, which would give a mean mass of 64.40.
C: treats the 2+2+ charge as two extra electrons rather than two fewer.
D: reverses the subtraction for neutron number, assigning more neutrons to the lower-mass isotope.
Remember: Isotopes differ in neutron number; ion charge reflects electron gain or loss.

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