Question

Indicate whether the statement is true or false. If it is false, change the identified word(s) to make the statement true. For an atom to be neutral, the number of _______ must equal the number of neutrons.

1) Protons
2) Electrons
3) Neutrons
4) Atoms

Answer 1

The true statement is that for an atom to be neutral, the number of protons must equal the number of electrons. The original statement is false because it incorrectly identifies neutrons instead of electrons as needing to be equal in number to protons for atomic neutrality.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement to be evaluated is whether for an atom to be neutral, the number of protons must equal the number of neutrons. This statement is false. To correct this statement, it should say that for an atom to be neutral, the number of protons must equal the number of electrons. Atoms achieve electrical neutrality when the positively charged protons in the nucleus are balanced by an equal number of negatively charged electrons orbiting the nucleus.

An atom consists of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons and neutrons reside in the nucleus and provide the bulk of the atomic mass, while electrons orbit around the nucleus. The number of protons, which is the same as the atomic number, defines the element, and a neutral atom must have an equal number of protons and electrons. Isotopes are variants of elements that have the same number of protons but differ in the number of neutrons.

Therefore, for option number 1), Protons, it should read Electrons to make the statement true: For an atom to be neutral, the number of electrons must equal the number of protons.