Identify the type of subatomic particles described by each of the following: a. atomic number b.

Identify the type of subatomic particles described by each...

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Key Concepts

Composite Nucleon Count Expression

An expression such as mass number plus atomic number combines the counts of nucleons (protons plus neutrons) with an additional count of protons, resulting in a value that represents twice the number of protons plus the number of neutrons. This specific sum does not correspond directly to a standard subatomic particle, but it illustrates how combining core nuclear counts can yield other numerical relationships.

Neutron

A neutron is a subatomic particle found in the nucleus that carries no electric charge. The number of neutrons in an atom can be found by subtracting the atomic number from the mass number, and this number is crucial in determining the isotope of an element.

Mass Number

Mass number represents the total number of nucleons in the nucleus, which includes both protons and neutrons. It gives an approximation of the atomic mass and distinguishes between different isotopes of the same element.

Atomic Number

Atomic number is the count of protons present in the nucleus of an atom. It defines the element's identity and its position in the periodic table since each element has a unique number of protons.

Transcript

00:03 So this question is asking us which particles are being described by the following statements.

00:11 So we're going to start, of course, we've got our periodic table symbol here, the atomic number and the mass number down here for our lithium atom.

00:22 And i've also drawn in the bore model for the lithium atom here so that we can see that a little more clearly.

00:30 And so the first question is saying, okay, if we have the atomic number, what information does that tell us? well, the atomic number is three.

00:42 So what do we have three of? well, we've got three protons.

00:45 So by definition, it tells us the number of protons.

00:52 You might also say that it gives us the number of electrons as long as the atom is neutral.

01:01 So in this case, our lithium atom, a neutral atom has three electrons.

01:05 But in some cases, lithium, in many cases actually, lithium will lose one of those electrons.

01:10 It'll become a lithium ion.

01:12 So you can't necessarily assume that we have three electrons.

01:16 It's true if it's a neutral atom, but only if it's neutral.

01:21 So second, they are asking for the mass number.

01:25 So the mass number is seven.

01:26 So what do we have seven of? well, we have seven of these particles in the nucleus, which we call nucleons...

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