QQuestionChemistry
QuestionChemistry
The atomic number of potassium is 19, and the mass number is 39. How many protons, neutrons, and electrons are in an atom of potassium?
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Answer
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Step 1:I'll solve this problem step by step, following the specified LaTeX formatting guidelines:
Step 2:: Identify the Atomic Number
\text{Number of protons} = 19
The atomic number tells us the number of protons in an atom. For potassium, the atomic number is 19.
Step 3:: Determine the Number of Electrons
\text{Number of electrons} = 19
In a neutral atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons.
Step 4:: Calculate the Number of Neutrons
\text{Number of neutrons} = 39 - 19 = 20
The mass number is the total number of protons and neutrons. We can find neutrons by subtracting protons from the mass number.
Final Answer
- Protons: 19 - Neutrons: 20 - Electrons: 19 This breakdown shows the complete composition of a neutral potassium- 39 atom, with each particle count derived from the given atomic and mass numbers.
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