Final answer:
d) neutrons. Neutral atoms of 35Cl and 37Cl are isotopes that differ in their number of neutrons; 35Cl has 18 neutrons while 37Cl has 20 neutrons.
Step-by-step explanation:
Neutral atoms of 35Cl and 37Cl differ with respect to their number of neutrons. Both isotopes have the same number of protons and electrons, since they are both chlorine with an atomic number of 17. However, 35Cl has 18 neutrons (35 - 17 = 18) and 37Cl has 20 neutrons (37 - 17 = 20).
Atoms that vary in the number of neutrons but have the same atomic number are known as isotopes. This does not change the chemical properties significantly, but it does affect the atomic mass and can impact the physical properties such as melting point and boiling point.
The neutral atoms of 35Cl and 37Cl differ with respect to their number of electrons. Neutral atoms have an equal number of electrons and protons, so the number of protons in both 35Cl and 37Cl is 17.
However, the difference in their mass numbers (35 and 37) means that 35Cl has 18 neutrons while 37Cl has 20 neutrons. Therefore, the correct answer is d) neutrons