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What is the number of protons plus the number of neutrons in an atom always a whole number?
Wiki User
∙ 6y ago
The two are counts and so natural numbers. The set of natural numbers is closed under addition.
Wiki User
∙ 6y ago
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Why is an elements atomic mass not listed as a whole number on the table?
There are two main reasons. The first is that the masses of protons and neutrons are not 1 unit but slightly greater. The mass of an atom is the mass of a whole number of protons, a whole number of neutrons as well as the same number of electrons as protons. Overall, therefore, the mass should be greater than the number of protons and neutrons (electrons have very little mass). But some of the mass is converted to energy which is used to hold the positively charged nucleus together. As a result the mass of carbon12 is an exact whole number and that is the only element for which that is true.The second, and possibly more relevant reason is that most atoms are found in the form of isotopes which have different numbers of neutrons and so different masses. The atomic mass listed for an element is an average of the masses of all these isotopes, weighted together according to their abundance of earth.
Why is the atomic mass number not a whole number?
We can find Atomic Mass and mass number in chemical elements. Atomic mass is about weight of the atom. Mass number is about total of neutrons and protons.
Why is the atomic mass of an element not usually given as a whole number even though each individual atom of the element has a whole number of protons and neutrons?
It's because of electrons, they have a relative mass of 1/1836
Why are all atomic numbers whole numbers?
The atomic number is the number of protons.
Atomic mass is equivalent to the number of?
The atomic mass is the mass of an atom of that element in AMUs. (Atomic Mass Units)The atomic number, however, is equivalent to the number of protons in an atom of that element.The mass number of an atom is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom. This is therefore always a whole number. The relative atomic mass of an element is the weighted average of the masses of the isotopes relative to 1/12 of the mass of a carbon-12 atom.It is a weighted average as it takes into account the relative abundances of the different isotopes (atoms of the same element but with different numbers of neutrons) of an element. This number is found in the periodic table.For example chlorine has two isotopes, 35Cl and 37Cl, in the approximate ratio of 3 atoms of 35Cl to 1 atom of 37Cl.The number of protons and neutrons in a 35Cl atom must add up to 35, the mass number. The relative atomic mass of chlorine takes into account both isotopes and is therefore 35.5.
The mass number of an element is equal to the total number of?
protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom. It is represented by a whole number and is used to identify different isotopes of an element.
What is a whole number which represents the total number of protons and neutrons?
This is the mass number.
Which trem describes the sum of the number of protons and neutrons in an atom?
"Atomic mass" is the sum of the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of the atom. All atoms of an element have the same number of protons. For example, all iron atoms have 26 protons. But while most (90%) have 30 neutrons, there are isotopes of iron that have anywhere from 26 to 36 neutrons. So the published "atomic mass" is the weighted average of the combined number of protons and neutrons. That's why the atomic number is always a whole number, but the atomic mass is a decimal.
What is the sum of protons and neutrons known as an element?
The sum of protons and neutrons in an atom is known as the atomic mass or mass number of an element. It is typically shown as the whole number next to the element's symbol in the periodic table.
Why are atomic numbers always whole numbers?
Atomic numbers represent the number of protons in an atom's nucleus, which are always whole numbers because protons are indivisible particles. Atomic numbers cannot be fractions or decimal numbers because they refer to a count of discrete, whole particles.
The mass number of an elements is equal to?
The mass number of an element is equal to the total number of protons and neutrons in its nucleus. It is rounded to the nearest whole number on the periodic table.
How do you calculate the number of neutrons an atom of a specific element has?
You can calculate the number of neutrons an atom has by subtracting the atomic number (number of protons) from the atomic mass (rounded to the nearest whole number). Neutrons are the difference between these two values.
What equals the number of neutrons plus the number of protons in an atom?
The sum of the number of protons and neutrons in an atom is known as the atomic mass. It is equivalent to the mass number of the atom, which represents the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus.
In order to calculate the number of neutrons you must subtract the from the?
In order to calculate the number of neutrons, you subtract the atomic number (number of protons) from the atomic mass (rounded to the nearest whole number). Neutrons are important for stabilizing the atomic nucleus alongside protons.
How do the numbers of protons, number of neutrons, and the mass number related?
mass no. = no. of protons + no. of neutrons
How do you find the number of nucleons?
To find the number of nucleons in an atom, you add the number of protons and the number of neutrons together. Nucleons are the collective term for protons and neutrons found in the nucleus of an atom.
Why is lithium's mass number a decimal number?
The mass number is a whole number, but the atomic mass may not be. Mass numbers are the total number of neutrons and protons in an isotope (different from atomic numbers, which are the whole numbers of protons only). These are also whole numbers, and for most lithium, it is 7. The mass number is 6 for lithium-6, which has only 3 neutrons. However, the "atomic mass" of an element is measured in atomic mass units, which are 1/12 of the weight of a carbon-12 atom (6 protons and 6 neutrons). Since neutrons are slightly heavier than protons, and there are more neutrons than protons in lithium-7 (3 protons to 4 neutrons), the atomic mass is slightly more than 7.
