QQuestionChemistry
QuestionChemistry
"How many protons, electrons, and neutrons, respectively, does
31
P have?"
12 months agoReport content
Answer
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Step 1:: Identify the atomic number and mass number from the given information.
In this case, the atomic number of phosphorus is 15 (denoted as $${}_{15}^{31}\text{P}$$), and the mass number is 31.
The atomic number of an element is the number of protons in its nucleus, and the mass number is the sum of the number of protons and neutrons.
Step 2:: Determine the number of protons.
Since the atomic number is the number of protons, there are 15 protons in a phosphorus atom.
Step 3:: Determine the number of neutrons.
\text{Number of neutrons} = 31 - 15 = 16
To find the number of neutrons, subtract the atomic number from the mass number.
Step 4:: Determine the number of electrons.
In a neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons. Since there are 15 protons in a phosphorus atom, there are also 15 electrons.
Final Answer
- Number of protons: 15 - Number of neutrons: 16 - Number of electrons: 15
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