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What is Hyphen Notation?

Answer – Hyphen notation is a system for representing an isotope that uses the name or symbol of the element along with its mass number. 

Explanation:

Atoms are determined as elements on the basis of the number of electrons they have. This is also equal to the number of protons in their nucleus, and is called the atomic number. Changes in the number of electrons (atomic number) transforms an atom of one element into that of another. 

Meanwhile, the mass number of an atom is the total number of protons and neutrons present in the nucleus of that atom. Isotopes are versions of elements with differing mass numbers. This variation in mass numbers is caused by a difference in the number of neutrons present. 

When denoting isotopes, it is important to mention their mass numbers. There are two commonly used notations to do so – isotopic and hyphen. In the former, the mass number of the isotope is written in superscript before the symbol of that element, such as 14C. 

In the hyphen notation on the other hand, the name or symbol of the element is written, followed by a hyphen, and then the mass number. For instance, carbon-14 or C-14.


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