Multiple Choice
How many electrons are in a neutral oxygen atom?
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9. Electrons in Atoms and the Periodic Table
Electronic Structure: Number of Electrons
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Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first videoMultiple Choice
For a neutral atom of an element, how do you determine the number of electrons it has from the periodic table?
A
It equals the atomic mass rounded to the nearest whole number.
B
It equals the atomic number (number of protons).
C
It equals the mass number.
D
It equals the number of neutrons.
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand that a neutral atom has an equal number of protons and electrons because the positive and negative charges balance each other out.
Identify the atomic number of the element from the periodic table. The atomic number is usually the smaller whole number displayed for each element and represents the number of protons in the nucleus.
Since the atom is neutral, the number of electrons must be equal to the number of protons, which is the atomic number.
Note that the atomic mass (or atomic weight) is not used to determine the number of electrons because it represents the average mass of protons and neutrons and is often a decimal value.
Remember that the number of neutrons can be found by subtracting the atomic number from the mass number, but this is not related to the number of electrons in a neutral atom.
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