Question

A neutral atom has 17 protons and a mass number of 37. The name of the atom is _____ and each atom has _____ electrons. This particular isotope of the atom has _____ neutrons.

A. Chlorine; 17 electrons; 37 neutrons
B. Chlorine; 17 electrons; 20 neutrons
C. Sodium; 17 electrons; 20 neutrons
D. Sodium; 37 electrons; 17 neutrons

Answer 1

A neutral atom with 17 protons is chlorine; it has 17 electrons and, for a mass number of 37, it has 20 neutrons, making answer B the correct choice. B. Chlorine; 17 electrons; 20 neutrons.

Step-by-step explanation:

The name of an atom with 17 protons is chlorine, and in its neutral state, it has an equal number of electrons, which would be 17 electrons.

To calculate the number of neutrons in a chlorine atom with a mass number of 37, we use the formula A = N + Z, where A is the mass number, N is the number of neutrons, and Z is the atomic number (the number of protons). Since chlorine has 17 protons (Z = 17), if A is 37, then by rearranging the formula (N = A - Z), we find that N, the number of neutrons, is 37 - 17, which equals 20 neutrons. Therefore, the correct answer is B. Chlorine; 17 electrons; 20 neutrons.