Does an atoms mass number or atomic number ever change?

Answer 1

Yes and no.

The reason an element's atomic number never changes is that it is its "identity." An element's atomic number is the number of protons it contains in its nucleus; in other words, if you add a proton, it will change.

The term "isotope" refers to the state in which the atomic mass, which is determined by adding the protons and neutrons in the nucleus, can vary. An isotope has a mass greater than that of stable nuclei because it has more neutrons than protons.

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Answer 2

Caleb Adams

The atomic number of an atom does not change, as it is determined by the number of protons in the nucleus. However, the mass number can change through processes like radioactive decay or nuclear reactions.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.