Here's a breakdown:
* Oxygen-16: This is the most common isotope of oxygen. It has 8 protons and 8 neutrons. The number of protons defines the element (in this case, oxygen), and the sum of protons and neutrons gives the atomic mass number.
* Oxygen-18: This is a less common isotope of oxygen. It has 8 protons (same as oxygen-16) but 10 neutrons. This extra neutron accounts for the higher atomic mass number of 18.
In essence, both isotopes are still oxygen because they have the same number of protons (8). However, they differ in their neutron count, leading to a different atomic mass.
Here are some additional points:
* Isotopes: Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons are called isotopes.
* Abundance: Oxygen-16 is the most abundant isotope, making up about 99.76% of all oxygen found naturally. Oxygen-18 is much less abundant, making up only about 0.2% of natural oxygen.
* Uses: Oxygen-18 is used in various scientific applications, including:
* Paleoclimatology: Studying past climates by analyzing the ratio of oxygen-18 to oxygen-16 in ice cores and fossils.
* Medical research: Tracking metabolic processes and studying the movement of water in the body.
Let me know if you have any further questions!
