p. 48 #3-6


p. 48

3.  List the three main particles of an atom and explain how they differ from one another

A. Electron -- a -1 charge, orbit around the nucleus, very little mass
Proton -- a +1 charge, found in the nucleus, a mass of one
Neutron -- a neutral charge (0), found in the nucleus, a mass of one


4.  If the number of electrons in an atom is 35 and its mass number is 80, calculate the following:
a) the number of protons

A.  35

b) the atomic number

A.  35


c) the number of neutrons

A.  45

5.  What is an isotope?

A.  Isotopes of an element are atoms with varying numbers of neutrons, although they have the same number of protons.  C-14 and C-12 are examples of carbon isotopes.

6.  What occurs in an atom to produce an ion?

A.  An atom ends up with more or fewer electrons than protons.  This gives the atom a positive or negative charge, depending on the balance of proton and electron charges.


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