Question

Boron has two isotopes, boron $- 10$ and boron $- 11$ . Boron $- 10$ has five protons and five neutrons. How many protons and neutrons does boron $- 11$ have? Explain.

Answer 1

The word isotope is derived from the Greek words isos and topos, which both mean "the same place." Isotopes are different forms of the same element with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons in the atom.

Complete answer:
The mass number and the element's name are used to identify isotopes. The symbol boron $- 11$ denotes that the element's name is boron and its mass number is $11$ .
It is given in the question that boron $- 10$ has five protons in its nucleus, and an element always has the same number of protons in its nucleus (atomic number). So, boron $- 11$ has five protons that is the same as boron $- 10$ .
We know that the mass number is defined as the total protons and neutrons. For boron $- 11$ the total mass is $11$ , and five of the particles are protons, thus $11 - 5 = 6\;$ neutrons.

Additional Information:
Boron's two isotopes, boron $- 10$ and boron $- 11$ , are widely employed in the nuclear industry. boron $- 10$ is utilised in pressurised water reactors as a chemical shim in the form of boric acid, and in boiling water reactors as a standby liquid control system in the form of sodium pentaborate. The neutron reflector boron $- 11$ can be employed.

Note:
Isotopes of elements frequently have different masses due to unequal quantities of neutrons. Elements with odd atomic numbers often have one or two stable isotopes, whereas elements with even atomic numbers typically have three or more stable isotopes. There are, however, some exceptions, such as carbon, helium, and beryllium.