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Why is it more useful to base the periodic table on the number of protons in each atom rather on the atomic mass?
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
Because all elements have a specific amount of protons, any more or less and they are not the same element. Different isotopes of the same element can largely vary in their Atomic Mass.
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
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What is the name for the number of protons and neutrons in an atom?
The number of protons in a nucleus of an atom is called the "proton number", strangely enough. If you are a physicist, you will most likely prefer this term. Chemists however, would rather call it "atomic number".
By using the periodic table how did you determine how many neutrons are the most common isotope of an element?
Usually the periodic table would not be a good source to determine the number of neutrons; the periodic table focuses on the atomic number, which is the number of protons. An element with a given number of protons can have multiple isotopes, which are elements with the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons; in some cases there are a rather large variety of isotopes. Having said that, some periodic tables do represent the commonest isotope or commonest naturally occurring one but are still unlikely to list all possible isotopes.
Who organized the periodic table by atomic number?
Arranging the Periodic Table by atomic number rather than Atomic Mass was first suggested by a British man named Henry Moseley in 1913. Before that point, the periodic table was organized by atomic mass, and has several inconsistencies and problems.
What is the atomic number if the atom has 6 electrons?
All atoms are neutral (because if they are not, they are called an ion). That means that the atomic number equals the number of electrons (not just the number of protons), therefore the atomic number is 6. Remember that the atomic number of an element is the number of protons in the nucleus. Proton count determines atomic number and elemental identity.
How do you determine the number of neutron's in an atom of a given element?
Atomic Mass minus atomic number. This is rather simplified but the atomic mass of an element is the total of all the protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom. Each proton and neutron has an atomic mass of approximately 1 AMU (atomic mass units) while an electron has an atomic mass of about 0.0005 AMU. So, you don't need to worry about the electrons. The atomic number of an element is simply the number of protons in the atom. So, atomic mass (number of protons and neutrons) minus atomic number (number of protons) equals number of neutrons in an atom.
Distinguish between the atomic number and mass number of an element?
The atomic number of an element is the number of protons in the nucleus of each atom of the element. Mass number is a property of a particular isotope of the element rather than of the element itself: The mass number is the sum of the numbers of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of each atom of the isotope.
How Henry Moseley rearranged the periodic table?
Henry Moseley did a series of experiments looking at the x-ray spectra of various elements. He found that the frequencies of equivalent bands made a very simple progression that more or less corresponded to atomic weight order. The exceptions were exactly the same as the ones where Mendeleev's scheme was having difficulties. He thus arrived at a definition of atomic number, and proposed a revised periodic law where the ordering of elements was according to atomic number rather than atomic weight.
How do scientists determine the number of neutrons and isotopes in an atom?
Atomic mass minus atomic number. This is rather simplified but the atomic mass of an element is the total of all the protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom. Each proton and neutron has an atomic mass of approximately 1 AMU (atomic mass units) while an electron has an atomic mass of about 0.0005 AMU. So, you don't need to worry about the electrons. The atomic number of an element is simply the number of protons in the atom. So, atomic mass (number of protons and neutrons) minus atomic number (number of protons) equals number of neutrons in an atom.
Can the atomic number change over time?
No. The atomic number of an element never changes. It is the number of protons and it defines the element. In certain types of radioactive decay, the number of protons can change, but then it is no longer the same (parent) element, but rather is a new (daughter) element.
If an atom six protons eight electrons and six neutrons what element is it?
The atomic mass is the number of protons, plus the number of neutrons. In this case, 8 + 6 = 14.Furthermore, the six protons (atomic number) tells me that this is carbon; the six electrons tell me that this is a carbon atom, rather than a carbon ion (an ion is when the number of electrons does not equal the number of protons, making the atom electrically non-neutral). The eight neutrons tell me that this is an isotope (in other words, a version) of carbon called carbon-14, which happens to be mildly radioactive; and therefore useful to archaeologists in dating human artifacts.
Why are elements arranged by number of protons?
Elements are arranged by the number of protons because it is the one system that can accurately sort the elements into their periods and groups with no exceptions. For example, if atoms were sorted by mass rather than number of protons, a couple of the elements would be switched messing up the periods and groups of the table.
Do protons neutrons and electrons affect the mass and charge of an atom?
Mass is a measurement of the amount of matter in an object. An atom has mass. The atomic mass is made up of protons and neutrons because both of these particles make up the atom's nucleus and have mass. Electrons also make up an atom, but their masses are so small that they are not usually calculated in with the atomic mass.
