Guide Questions:
1. What is the relationship between the proton number and the atomic number of an
atom?
2. How can you determine the number of protons in a neutral atom? Electrons?
Neutrons?
3. Based from the activity above, how can you determine the relative atomic mass
(Z) of the atom?
1. What is the relationship between the proton number and the atomic number of an
atom?
2. How can you determine the number of protons in a neutral atom? Electrons?
Neutrons?
3. Based from the activity above, how can you determine the relative atomic mass
(Z) of the atom?
Answers & Comments
Answer:
1) 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 mass number of the atom (M) is equal to the sum of the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus
2) The mass number, 40, is the sum of the protons and the neutrons. To find the number of neutrons, subtract the number of protons from the mass number.
3) Atomic number: Number of protons present in the nucleus is called atomic number (Z) of an element. Atomic weight: The sum of mass number of proton and mass number of neutron is called atomic weight or atomic mass number (A). Z = 19 and A = 39 as per atomic weight definition