Question

If the isotope 32S has 16 protons and 16 neutrons, how many protons, neutrons, and electrons will the isotope 35S have, respectively?

A) 16, 20, 15
B) 16, 19, 15
C) 16, 19, 16
D) 16, 19, 17

Answer 1

The isotope 35S has 16 protons, 19 neutrons, and 16 electrons. Therefore, the correct option is C.

Step-by-step explanation:

The isotope 35S will have the same number of protons as 32S since the element sulfur (S) has an atomic number of 16, which represents the number of protons. Therefore, the isotope 35S has 16 protons. Isotopes of an element differ in the number of neutrons; the neutron count is found by subtracting the atomic number (protons) from the mass number. Thus, for 35S, the number of neutrons is 35 (mass number) - 16 (protons) = 19 neutrons. In a neutral atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons. Hence, for 35S, there are 16 electrons. The correct answer is therefore C) 16, 19, 16.