Oxygen has an atomic number of 8. Which of the following could form the nucleus of an isotope of oxygen?

Options

A. 4 protons and 4 neutrons
B. 6 protons and 8 neutrons
C. 8 protons and 8 neutrons
D. 10 protons and 10 neutrons.

Explanation

To determine which of the given options could form the nucleus of an isotope of oxygen, we need to follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Atomic Structure of Oxygen
Oxygen has an atomic number of 8. This means that every oxygen atom has 8 protons in its nucleus.

### Step 2: Identify Isotopes of Oxygen
Isotopes are variants of the same element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. For oxygen, the common isotopes are:
- Oxygen-16 (8 protons, 8 neutrons)
- Oxygen-17 (8 protons, 9 neutrons)
- Oxygen-18 (8 protons, 10 neutrons)

### Step 3: Analyze the Options
We need to check the options provided to see which one has 8 protons (since it must match the atomic number of oxygen). The number of neutrons can vary, leading to different isotopes.

### Step 4: Calculate Mass Number
The mass number of an isotope is the sum of the number of protons and neutrons. For example:
- For Oxygen-16: Mass number = 8 protons + 8 neutrons = 16
- For Oxygen-17: Mass number = 8 protons + 9 neutrons = 17
- For Oxygen-18: Mass number = 8 protons + 10 neutrons = 18

### Step 5: Conclusion
From the analysis, we can conclude that the nucleus of an isotope of oxygen must have 8 protons, and the number of neutrons can be either 8, 9, or 10, corresponding to the isotopes of Oxygen-16, Oxygen-17, and Oxygen-18.