Question

What is true for an element with a mass number of 36 and an atomic number of 17?

(A) Most of the mass in this atom is in a very dense nucleus containing 17 neutrons and 19 protons
(B) Most of the mass in this atom is in a very dense nucleus containing 17 protons and 19 neutrons
(C) The mass in this atom is evenly distributed with 17 neutrons and 19 protons
(D) The mass in this atom is evenly distributed with 17 protons and 19 neutrons
(E) Most of this atom is empty space with 17 neutrons and 19 protons

Answer 1

The mass number of this atom is 36, with an atomic number of 17. Most of the mass in this atom is in a very dense nucleus containing 17 protons and 19 neutrons.

Step-by-step explanation:

The mass number of an atom is the sum of the number of protons and neutrons in its nucleus. In this case, the mass number is 36, and the atomic number is 17. The mass number of an element is distributed with the protons and neutrons in its nucleus, and not with the electrons, which have very little mass.

Therefore, the correct option is (B) Most of the mass in this atom is in a very dense nucleus containing 17 protons and 19 neutrons. This means that the nucleus of this atom contains 17 protons and 19 neutrons, which contribute to the majority of the mass of the atom.