Question

1. a distinctive property is its number of a. protons b. neutrons c. electrons d. atoms 7. on the periodic table of the elements, mercury (hg) has an atomic number of 80 and a mass number of 200.59. it has seven stable isotopes. the most abundant of these probably have a. about 80 neutrons each b. fewer than 80 neutrons each c. more than 80 neutrons each d. more electrons than neutrons

Explanation:

1. For the first question, the distinctive property of an element is its number of protons. The number of protons defines the element's identity and is equal to the atomic number. Different elements have different numbers of protons.
2. For the second question, the mass - number of an element is the sum of protons and neutrons. Given mercury has an atomic number (number of protons) of 80 and a mass - number of approximately 200.59. To find the number of neutrons, we use the formula: Number of neutrons = Mass number - Atomic number. So, the number of neutrons is approximately 200.59 - 80 = 120.59. So the most abundant isotopes probably have more than 80 neutrons each.

Answer:

1. a. protons
2. c. more than 80 neutrons each