Question

Your friend says that what makes one element distinct from another is the number of electrons around the atomic nucleus. Do you agree wholeheartedly, partially, or not at all? Explain.

Name: Problem 42, Chapter 11: Conceptual Physics
Uploaded: 2019-08-30T08:42:03-08:00
Duration: 2 min 25 s
Channel: Sri Datta Vikas Buchemmavari
Description: Your friend says that what makes one element distinct from another is the number of electrons around the atomic nucleus. Do you agree wholeheartedly, partially, or not at all? Explain.

   Your friend says that what makes one element distinct from another is the number of electrons around the atomic nucleus. Do you agree wholeheartedly, partially, or not at all? Explain.

Conceptual Physics

Paul G. Hewitt 12th Edition

Chapter 11, Problem 42

Instant Answer

Solved by Expert Sri Datta Vikas Buchemmavari

08/30/2019

Step 1

Hydrogen has one proton in its nucleus and one electron orbiting it. Helium, on the other hand, has two protons and two neutrons in its nucleus, with two electrons orbiting it. Show more…

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Your friend says that what makes one element distinct from another is the number of electrons around the atomic nucleus. Do you agree wholeheartedly, partially, or not at all? Explain.

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Key Concepts

Charge and Ionization

In a neutral atom the number of electrons equals the number of protons, but atoms can gain or lose electrons to become ions. This means that while electron count can change under ionization, the element’s identity remains fixed by its constant number of protons.

Atomic Number

The atomic number, which is the number of protons in an atom’s nucleus, is the defining property of an element. It determines the element’s identity on the periodic table since each element has a unique number of protons, and in neutral atoms, this number equals the number of electrons.

Subatomic Particles

Understanding atoms involves recognizing that they are made up of subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. While electrons orbit the nucleus and influence chemical bonding and reactivity, it is the number of protons in the nucleus that truly distinguishes one element from another.

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