Isotopes of Pennies
Name ___________________________Date ______________ Period _______
Pre-Lab Questions
You will do a lab that will deal with isotopes, mass number, and atomic mass.
Before you begin your work in the lab, try to explain these terms in your own
words. After you have finished the lab, you will have a chance to revise your
explanations based on what you have learned in the activity.
Terms:
Isotope:
Atomic Number:
Mass Number:
In 1982, the United States government changed the way it minted pennies.
Before 1982, pennies were made of 95% copper and 5% tin. Now they are
made of zinc coated with copper. Because they weigh different amounts
(have different masses), we can call them isotopes of pennies.
1. What do the two kinds of pennies represent in this exercise?
2. How do the pennies differ? How do isotopes differ?
3. What do the pennies have in common? What do isotopes have in
common?
