Question

an atom contains 32 protons and has a mass number of approximately 72 amu what is the chemical symbol for the atom

Answer 1

I belive it would be Hf (hafanium).

Answer 2

Answer: The isotopic symbol of element is $_{32}^{72}\textrm{Ge}$

Explanation:

Atomic number is defined as the number of protons that are present in an atom. It is represented as 'Z'

Z = Atomic number = Number of protons

Mass number of an element is defined as the sum of number of neutrons and number of protons that are present in an atom. It is represented as 'A'.

A = Mass number = Number of neutrons + Number of protons

The isotopic representation of an atom is: $_Z^A\textrm{X}$

where,

Z = Atomic number of the atom

A = Mass number of the atom

X = Symbol of the atom

We are given:

Number of protons = Atomic number = 32

Mass number = 72

The element having atomic number as 32 is germanium

Hence, the isotopic symbol of element is $_{32}^{72}\textrm{Ge}$