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Number of electrons = number of protons = atomic number
Mass number - number of neutrons = number of protons = number of electrons
An ion will either have more or less electrons than protons, thereby making it a charged particle. It is "charged" because there is an abundance of electrons or protons that creates a positive or negative charge. The reason an atom loses or gains electrons to become a charged particle (ion: cation or anion) lies in the octet rule (see related question below).
Ions are written with their charge in superscript after the elemental symbol: Li+, Mg+2, Cl-, K+, etc. The number indicates the number of protons or electrons that outnumber the opposite subatomic particle. For example, Mg+2 indicates that there are two more protons than electrons, creating a positive "2" charge. (If no number is given, then it is given that there is "one" more proton or electron).
So if we know how many more or less electrons there are than protons, all we need to do is find the number of protons to compare it with. In the example above, there are two less electrons than protons in the magnesium ion. If all magnesium ions contain 12 protons, then there would have to be 10 electrons in the ion.
To simplify:
Number of protons (or atomic number) - charge of ion = number of electrons
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoNumber of electrons = Number of protons = Atomic number (in the case of neutral atoms)
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoIn a neutral atom, the number of electrons is the same as the atom's atomic number.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoThat's obvious it's neutral that means either one it could be both
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If an atom has 19 protons and 20 neutrons how much electrons does it have?
It depends. From the given information about the number of protons, we can be sure that we are talking about potassium. The number of neutrons in this case won't matter. If the question emphasizes "atom" then we can be sure that the particle is neutral. Then we know that for the particle to be neutral, it has to have the same number of electrons as protons. However, potassium will not stay neutral for long if given a chance. It will lose an electron when bonding with others, to eventually have 18.
An atom that is balanced or stable has the same number of negative charges as it does positive charges therefore you know that a balanced atom has an equal number of electron and?
protons and electrons .!.
If the atomic number of an Atom is 11 how many electrons does Atom have?
You cannot know for sure withoutmore information. An electrically neutral sodium atom (sodium has at. no. 11) will have the same number of electrons as protons; atomic number tells you the number of protons, so this atom has 11 protons and would have 11 electrons if electrically neutral, however, if the atom is charged, it could have more or fewer electrons. Sodium atoms in stars are highly ionized and may have just a few if any any electrons.
What is the mass number of an ion with 107 electrons and a 1 charge?
Mass number is the sum of the number of protons (atomic number) and neutrons in the nuclei of the atoms of an isotope of a particular element. The information given can be used to find the number of protons, which is 106. You can know this because in a neutral atom, the numbers of protons and electrons are the same. So you take away the single extra electron in the ion, and you get 106 electrons in the now neutral atom. So if there are 106 electrons, there are also 106 protons. However, you still cannot determine the mass number because the number of neutrons has not been given.
The negatively charged particle that rotates the nucleus of an atom is know as?
An electron.
Can you find an element if you only know the number of electrons in a neutral atom?
Yes. In a neutral atom, the +ve and -ve charges will be equal. Electrons are negatively charged, and protons have an equal and opposite positive charge. Therefore the proton number will equal the electron number. Elements are classified by their Atomic number, and this equals the proton number. So if you had a neutral atom with 6 elements, you know it has 6 protons in the nucleus and an atomic number of 6 - Carbon.
If you know the number of electrons in a neutral atom can you determine what the element is?
Yes, in a neutral atom the number of electrons and protons is equal, and it is the number of protons that determines what element the atom is. So, by looking at the number of electrons you can tell what element it is.
How do you find the number of electrons in an atom if you know the number of protons and neutrons?
In a neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons of the nucleus.
How many total electrons are present if the atom is electrically neutral in chlorine?
A neutral chlorine atom has 17 electrons. You can know this because chlorine's atomic number is 17, which is the number of protons in the nuclei of its atoms, and a neutral atom has equal numbers of electrons and protons.
How do you know the number of electrons in a neutral atom?
The number of electrons will equal the number of protons in a neutral atom. And this will also equal the atomic number (the number of an element in the periodic table of Mendeleev).
If an atom has 19 protons and 20 neutrons how much electrons does it have?
It depends. From the given information about the number of protons, we can be sure that we are talking about potassium. The number of neutrons in this case won't matter. If the question emphasizes "atom" then we can be sure that the particle is neutral. Then we know that for the particle to be neutral, it has to have the same number of electrons as protons. However, potassium will not stay neutral for long if given a chance. It will lose an electron when bonding with others, to eventually have 18.
How do you find the number of protons or electrons in a neutral atom of an element?
in a neutral atom the no.of electrons and protons are the same. so what you have to only know is the atomic no.of that element
An atom that is balanced or stable has the same number of negative charges as it does positive charges therefore you know that a balanced atom has an equal number of electron and?
protons and electrons .!.
What do you need to know to find the numbers of protons in an atom?
the protons are the same number of electrons in a neutral atom and they aren't changeable but different signal
An atom has no electrical charge because of what?
As you know, an atom consists of an electron, a neutron, and a proton.The electron revolves around its nucleus due to nuclear force.The electron has a negative charge and the proton in the nucleus, has a positive charge.Therefore, a negative charge and a positive charge cancel each other out.(Same as + and - makes 0).Therefore an atom is overall neutral in nature.
What can be determined if you know the atomic number of an electrically neutral atom?
The number of electrons can be determined if the overall charge and number of protons are known. If the charge of an atom is neutral, then how ever many protons it has it will also have that number of electrons.
How many electrons does phosphorus atom have?
phosphorus have 15 electron because you know the atomic number to know electron
