Question

describe how to determine the number of each subatomic particle in an atom below

proton:

electron:

neutron:

Explanation:

• Proton: The number of protons in an atom is equal to its atomic number. The atomic number is a unique identifier for each element on the periodic table. For example, hydrogen has an atomic number of 1, so it has 1 proton.
• Electron: In a neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons. This is because the positive charge of the protons is balanced by the negative charge of the electrons. So, if an atom has \(n\) protons (from its atomic number), it has \(n\) electrons in its neutral state.
• Neutron: The number of neutrons can be found by subtracting the atomic number (\(Z\), number of protons) from the mass number (\(A\)). The formula is \(N=A - Z\), where \(N\) is the number of neutrons. For example, if an atom has a mass number of 14 and an atomic number of 6 (like carbon - 14), then the number of neutrons \(N = 14-6=8\).

Answer:

• Electron: Equal to the number of protons (atomic number) in a neutral atom.
• Neutron: Mass number - Atomic number.