The Element Oxygen Consists of Three Naturally Occurring Isotopes: ¹⁶O

question 114

Multiple Choice

The element oxygen consists of three naturally occurring isotopes: ¹⁶O, ¹⁷O, and ¹⁸O. The atomic mass of oxygen is 16.0 amu. What can be implied about the relative abundances of these isotopes

• A) More than 50% of all O atoms are ¹⁷O.
• B) Almost all O atoms are ¹⁸O.
• C) Almost all O atoms are ¹⁷O.
• D) The isotopes all have the same abundance, i.e. 33.3%.
• E) The abundances of ¹⁷O and ¹⁸O are very small.

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Definitions:

Aqueous Acid

A solution where an acid is dissolved in water to increase its ion concentration.

Bromination

A chemical reaction involving the addition of bromine to a compound, often used for adding bromine atoms to organic molecules.

Benzene Sulfonic Acid

A compound with a sulfonic acid group attached to a benzene ring, used in the production of detergents.

Dibromobenzene

Dibromobenzene refers to any of the compounds containing a benzene ring substituted with two bromine atoms, known in three isomeric forms.