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Does the nucleus of a atom have less mass than the electrons around it?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Because the masses of nucleons are so small and the forces which hold the nucleus are so strong, the full relativistic understanding of mass given by Einstein's E=mc^2 must be used in considering these systems.
Thus, the mass of the nucleus considered as a single particle must be equal to the energy of the nucleus if it were at rest. This includes the rest energy, or mass energy, of all of the nucleons from which the nucleus is made as well as the potential energy of each nucleon due to the nuclear strong force which binds it to the others to form the nucleus. Because this force is attractive the overall potential energy is negative (this is actually the simplest way to define being bound together), and thus the mass of the nucleus is less than the sum of the masses of the nucleons from which it is assembled.
Wiki User
∙ 16y ago
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What subatomic particle does every atom of carbon have in common?
Each carbon atom (atom number 6) has 6 protons (in nucleus) and 6 electrons (orbited around), the number of neutrons (also in nucleus) may vary from 6 or (less common) 7 or (rarely) 8.
Where is most of the mass of an atom concentrated?
in the nucleus of the atom
How does a proton electron and a neutron affect the atom?
Each electron contributes a charge of -1 elementary charge; each proton a charge of +1. In a neutral atom, there is the same amount of protons and electrons; in this case, the charges cancel, and (to the outside), the total charge is zero. If an atom has more or less electrons than protons, it DOES have an electrical charge; those atoms are called "ions".
Why is it said that the nucleus of an atom contains almost the entire mass and not the entire mass?
Yes. An electron, one of those little negatively charged critters that forms up around the nucleus of an atom, has little mass compared to the nucleons. (Nucleons are protons and neutrons - the particles that make up the nucleus). In fact, the mass of an electron is less than 1/1800th the mass of a proton. All the electrons in any given atom account for only a tiny amount of the total mass of that atom. Almost all the mass is accounted for the protons and neutrons (if any) in the nucleus. It's that simple, and you already show that you know it.
How is a strontium atom different from a strontium ion?
An isotope has extra or fewer neutrons in the nucleus than the average number for that element. This may or may not result in a radioactive isotope. An ion has extra or fewer electrons orbiting the nucleus. This usually increases the chemical reactivity.
Why are valence electrons easier to remove from an atom than core electrons?
the force of attraction between then nucleus and the valence electrons is less than that between the nucleus and the core electrons
What is the charge of just the nucleus of an atom?
The nucleus of an atom carries a positive charge. The negatively charged electrons orbiting the nucleus more or less balances out the positive charge.
Where are the electrons in an atom?
Electrons are located in the electron cloud - the outermost portion of the atom. The electron cloud accounts for about 99% of the space taken up by the atom, yet less than 1% of the mass. A good way of thinking about this is in terms of a football field. Imagine the nucleus of the atom was the size of a blueberry. Place the blueberry in the middle of a football field, and that is the size of the electron cloud in comparison to the nucleus. As you see, the atom is mostly empty space with electrons floating around within. Within the electron cloud, electrons are organized into levels, sublevels, orbitals, and spins. Outermost electrons bond with other atoms. The placement of electrons within an electron cloud determines the stability and chemical properties of an element.
What subatomic particle does every atom of carbon have in common?
Each carbon atom (atom number 6) has 6 protons (in nucleus) and 6 electrons (orbited around), the number of neutrons (also in nucleus) may vary from 6 or (less common) 7 or (rarely) 8.
Where is most of the mass of an atom concentrated?
in the nucleus of the atom
How is an atom changed when it loses an electrong?
The charge on the atom becomes positive because the number of electrons is less than the number of protons in the nucleus.
What is the outer shell of an atom?
The outer shell is the valence electrons and they are very loosely bound to the nucleus - less force by the nucleus on the valence electrons, so valence shell's electrons are exchanged first in any reaction.
How does a proton electron and a neutron affect the atom?
Each electron contributes a charge of -1 elementary charge; each proton a charge of +1. In a neutral atom, there is the same amount of protons and electrons; in this case, the charges cancel, and (to the outside), the total charge is zero. If an atom has more or less electrons than protons, it DOES have an electrical charge; those atoms are called "ions".
Where is an electron in the atom?
Electrons are found in the outer regions of an atom, in what is called the electron cloud, around and outside the nucleus of the atom. This region has areas where electrons are more likely to be at any time, and these are called orbitals. There are various shaped orbitals.The closer an electron is to the nucleus, the more energy it would take to escape from the atom. The outermost electrons of an atom can be more readily shed or gained, and if this is done, the atom has a positive or negative charge because it has more or less protons than electrons, and is called an ion.Electrons are subatomic particles that orbit the nucleus of and atom and carry a negative electric charge they are also responsible for chemical changes during chemical reactions.
Does electrons have the smallest mass?
not necessarily it has the smallest charge
How alpha decay affects the parent ATOM....not the nucleus.?
Nuclear decay, etc. is defined for the nucleus. The atom consists mostly of the nucleus. If the nucleus loses two protons (in the case of alpha decay) it will have two charges less; eventually it will tend to lose two electrons to become an electrically neutral atom.
What is an electron's most likely location in the electron cloud?
The Valence electrons, i.e. those in the outer shell of a compound are most likely to be involved in bonding. This is because they are further away from the nucleus of their atom, so experience less attractive force towards it. They are also shielded from this attraction by any electrons between them and the nucleus. Therefore, they require less energy to remove.
