524,995 views
38 votes
38 votes
Quick explanation please i'm having trouble

Two different atoms have nine protons each and the same mass. However, one is neutral while the other has a negative charge. Describe what each atomic structure could be, listing the possible number and location of all subatomic particles.

User Kyobul
by
2.9k points

1 Answer

25 votes
25 votes
It’s asking what subatomic particles each could have where one would be negative and they’d have the same mass. Since one is neutral it will have an equal amount of electrons and protons, while the negative one will have more electrons since they are negatively charged. It would be possible for one atom to have 9 protons, 9 electrons, and 1 neutron while the other has 9 protons and 10 electrons. Or you could take out the neutron because electrons don’t really have mass
User Matt Stone
by
2.7k points