Final answer:
An (S²⁻) ion differs from an electrically neutral sulfur atom in terms of the number of electrons, nuclear charge, atomic number, and potentially mass number.
Step-by-step explanation:
An (S²⁻) ion differs from an electrically neutral sulfur atom in terms of:
Number of electrons: An (S²⁻) ion has two more electrons than a neutral sulfur atom, resulting in a negative charge.
Nuclear charge: Both the (S²⁻) ion and the neutral sulfur atom have the same number of protons, which is determined by the atomic number (16). Therefore, their nuclear charge is the same.
Atomic number: The atomic number of both the (S²⁻) ion and the neutral sulfur atom is 16, as it represents the number of protons in the nucleus.
Mass number: The mass number of the (S²⁻) ion and the neutral sulfur atom would also be the same, as it represents the sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. However, without the specific information about the number of neutrons in the neutral sulfur atom, we cannot definitively compare their mass numbers.