How to calculate protons, neutrons and electrons

Chemistry
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how to calculate protons, neutrons and electrons

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how to calculate protons, neutrons and electrons

Answer: To calculate the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom, follow these steps:

  1. Protons (Atomic Number): The atomic number of an element is the number of protons in the nucleus of its atom. You can find the atomic number on the periodic table for the specific element you’re interested in.

  2. Electrons (Neutral Atom): For a neutral atom, the number of electrons is the same as the number of protons. So, the atomic number also gives you the number of electrons.

  3. Neutrons (Mass Number - Atomic Number): The mass number is the total number of protons and neutrons in an atom. Subtracting the atomic number (number of protons) from the mass number gives you the number of neutrons.

Mathematically:

Number of Protons = Atomic Number
Number of Electrons = Atomic Number
Number of Neutrons = Mass Number - Atomic Number

Keep in mind that the mass number might vary for isotopes of an element, which have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. If you’re dealing with a specific isotope, you’ll need to know its mass number.

For example, let’s take carbon-12 (C-12):

  • Atomic Number (Number of Protons) = 6
  • Atomic Number (Number of Electrons) = 6
  • Mass Number = 12
  • Number of Neutrons = 12 - 6 = 6

This gives you 6 protons, 6 electrons, and 6 neutrons for a neutral carbon-12 atom.