How do you find the number of electrons in an element?

1 Answer
Sep 29, 2016

I presume you have the atomic number, #Z#, of the element.

Explanation:

If you have #Z#, the number of massive, positively charged particles in the nucleus, then you automatically have the number of electrons. Why?

Because matter, all matter, is electrically neutral to a first approximation. So if your element is neutral, and you know #Z#, then the number of electrons is the same.