How do find the number of electrons, protons, and neutrons given a specific element?

1 Answer
anor277
Jul 28, 2017

Got a Periodic Table.........

Explanation:

The Periodic Table, which will made available to you in every test of physics and chemistry you ever sit, tells you EXPLICITLY the number of protons, electrons, and (to a first approx.) neutrons, in all the known elements.

For hydrogen, #"Z, the atomic number=1"#, for sulfur, #Z=16#, and for oxygen, #Z=8#. By definition, #Z# represents the number of nuclear protons, and thus specifies the ability of the element. And thus for one formula unit of #H_2SO_4#, the number of #"nucular protons"# #=# #16+4xx8+2=50#. Because these represent fundamental positive charges, you should be able to tell me how many electrons there are in the NEUTRAL molecule #"pdq"#.

The number of neutrons is a bit more problematic inasmuch as a given element can several isotopic forms. For sulfur, oxygen, and hydrogen we choose the COMMON isotopes, #""^1H#, #""^16O#, and #""^32S#, which have #0, 8,# and #16# neutrons respectively (the neutrons and the protons together represent the atomic mass). So you do the sum.

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