QQuestionChemistry
QuestionChemistry
How many protons, neutrons, and electrons does a potassium- 39 atom contain?
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Answer
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Step 1:: Determine the number of protons in a potassium- 39 atom.
In atomic physics, the atomic number of an element indicates the number of protons in its nucleus. Potassium has an atomic number of 19. Therefore, a potassium- 39 atom contains 19 protons.
Step 2:: Determine the number of neutrons in a potassium- 39 atom.
The mass number of an atom is the sum of its protons and neutrons. For potassium- 39, the mass number is 39. Since we already know the number of protons (19), we can find the number of neutrons by subtracting the number of protons from the mass number: Number of neutrons = Mass number - Number of protons Number of neutrons = 39 - 19 Number of neutrons = 20
Step 3:: Determine the number of electrons in a neutral potassium- 39 atom.
In a neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons. Since we know there are 19 protons in a potassium- 39 atom, there must also be 19 electrons in a neutral potassium- 39 atom.
Final Answer
- A potassium- 39 atom contains 19 protons, 20 neutrons, and 19 electrons.
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