What are the numbers of the subatomic particles in oxygen?
1 Answer
The actual total of subatomic particles is unknown. The number of basic subatomic particles is 24
Explanation:
Oxygen because it is number 8 has 8 positive protons.
As a neutral atom the negative electrons must equal the protons so Oxygen also has 8 electrons.
In the most common isotope of Oxygen the mass is 16
In this isotope there are also 8 neutrons. The total mass of 16 is made of the sum of protons and neutrons ( electrons have very little mass and can be ignored in calculating mass)
p + n = 16. p =8 so
8 + n =16 n =8
There are other isotopes of Oxygen that have different numbers of neutrons.
Also neutrons and protons are made up of even smaller subatomic particles.
The most common isotope of Oxygen has 24 basic subatomic 8 protons 8 electrons and 8 neutrons.
