Table of Contents
- 1 Why do atoms contain the same number of electrons and protons?
- 2 Why must each atom of an element have the same number of protons?
- 3 Why is the number of protons and neutrons the same?
- 4 Why do all atoms of the same element have the same number of neutrons?
- 5 Why do atoms of the same element have the same atomic number?
- 6 Why different atoms of the same element always have the same atomic number but can have different mass numbers?
- 7 What are atoms with the same number of protons but different number of neutrons called?
- 8 Why do different atoms of the same element always have the same atomic number but can have different mass numbers?
- 9 Do atoms of the same element have the same number of protons?
- 10 Why do protons and electrons have to be equal in order?
- 11 Why do nuclei attract more electrons than protons?
Why do atoms contain the same number of electrons and protons?
Actually the proton and electron count of an atom are equal only when the atom is neutral in charge. The electrons are found in orbitals surrounding the nucleus. In order for the atom to remain electrically neutral the protons and electrons must balance each other.
Why must each atom of an element have the same number of protons?
Atoms are neutral in electrical charge because they have the same number of negative electrons as positive protons (Table 2.4. 1). Therefore, the atomic number of an atom also tells you how many electrons the atom has….Atomic Number.
| Name | Hydrogen |
|---|---|
| Protons | 1 |
| Neutrons | 0 |
| Electrons | 1 |
| Atomic Number (Z) | 1 |
What is the same for all atoms of the same element?
All atoms of the same element have the same number of protons in their nucleus.
Why is the number of protons and neutrons the same?
The number of protons in the nucleus of the atom is equal to the atomic number (Z). The number of electrons in a neutral atom is equal to the number of protons. The number of neutrons is equal to the difference between the mass number of the atom (M) and the atomic number (Z).
Why do all atoms of the same element have the same number of neutrons?
All atoms of the same element have the same number of protons, but some may have different numbers of neutrons. For example, all carbon atoms have six protons, and most have six neutrons as well. Atoms of the same element that differ in their numbers of neutrons are called isotopes.
Does every atom of the same element have the same atomic number?
Each element has its own atomic number, which is equal to the number of protons in its nucleus. Isotopes of an element contain different numbers of neutrons. Elements are represented by an atomic symbol.
Why do atoms of the same element have the same atomic number?
The atomic number is the same as the number of protons. The atomic mass is the sum of the number of protons and neutrons. For ions (which may either have a positive or negative charge), only the number of electrons are being changed. If the ion is negative it means that an electron has been added to the configuration.
Why different atoms of the same element always have the same atomic number but can have different mass numbers?
This is because the number of protons (positive charge) equals the number of electrons (negative charge). Atoms of the same element always have the same number of protons, same Z, but often have different numbers of neutrons, therefore, different mass numbers.
When the number of protons and electrons possessed by an atom are unequal the atom?
Thus, if an atom contains equal numbers of protons and electrons, the atom is described as being electrically neutral. On the other hand, if an atom has an unequal number of protons and electrons, then the atom is electrically charged (and in fact, is then referred to as an ion rather than an atom).
What are atoms with the same number of protons but different number of neutrons called?
Isotopes. An isotope is one of two or more forms of the same chemical element. Different isotopes of an element have the same number of protons in the nucleus, giving them the same atomic number, but a different number of neutrons giving each elemental isotope a different atomic weight.
Why do different atoms of the same element always have the same atomic number but can have different mass numbers?
Atoms of the same element always have the same number of protons, same Z, but often have different numbers of neutrons, therefore, different mass numbers.
Why do all atoms of an element have the same atomic number although they have different mass numbers?
All atoms of a chemical element have the same atomic number (number of protons in the nucleus) but may have different mass numbers (from having different numbers of neutrons in the nucleus). Atoms of an element with the same mass number make up an isotope of the element.
Do atoms of the same element have the same number of protons?
Yes, atoms of the same element contain the same number of protons. The reason for this is because the number of protons in the nucleus is the atomic number of the element. Due to the uniqueness of the atomic number, it is considered a way to identify elements For example, hydrogen has one proton in its nucleus.
Why do protons and electrons have to be equal in order?
There are equal number of protons and electrons in order for the atom to be at equilibrium. If one of them were more then the atom will instantly collapse due to unbalanced forces of attraction.
What is the difference between mass number and atomic number?
An element’s atomic number is equal to the number of protons in the nuclei of any of its atoms. The mass number of an atom is the sum of the protons and neutrons in the atom. Isotopes are atoms of the same element (same number of protons) that have different numbers of neutrons in their atomic nuclei.
Why do nuclei attract more electrons than protons?
Nuclei tend to attract equal numbers of electrons to the number of protons they contain because, before they are equal, there’s a net positive charge pulling more electrons to it; and after they are equal, there is no more net charge to attract more electrons.