Lithium-8 (Li-8) is an isotope of lithium. To determine the atomic number and mass number of an isotope, we need to understand their definitions:
- The atomic number (Z) represents the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.
- The mass number (A) represents the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.
For lithium-8 (Li-8), we need to find the atomic number and mass number specifically for this isotope.
The atomic number of lithium is 3 since all isotopes of lithium have 3 protons.
The mass number of Li-8 is determined by adding the number of protons (3) and the number of neutrons present in this isotope. To find the number of neutrons, we subtract the atomic number (3) from the mass number (A):
Number of neutrons = Mass number (A) - Atomic number (Z)
In this case, the mass number of Li-8 is 8, and the atomic number is 3:
Number of neutrons = 8 - 3 = 5
Therefore, the atomic number of lithium-8 (Li-8) is 3, and the mass number is 8.