Question

question 3 (1 point)
which of these below has 16 protons and 18 electrons?
o a s 2-
o b s 2+
o c s
o d ar 2-

Explanation:

Step1: Determine the number of protons

The atomic number of sulfur (S) is 16, so it has 16 protons. Argon (Ar) has an atomic number of 18. So options c (S) has 16 protons, option d (Ar 2 -) has 18 protons. Options a and b also have 16 protons as they are sulfur species.

Step2: Determine the number of electrons

For a neutral atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons. For an ion \(X^{n -}\), the number of electrons is \(Z + n\) (where \(Z\) is the atomic number), and for \(X^{n+}\), the number of electrons is \(Z - n\).

• For \(S\) (option c), electrons = protons = 16.
• For \(S^{2+}\) (option b), electrons= \(16 - 2=14\).
• For \(S^{2 -}\) (option a), electrons = \(16+ 2 = 18\).
• For \(Ar^{2 -}\) (option d), electrons= \(18 + 2=20\)

Answer:

A. \(S^{2-}\)