If the atomic number of an atom is 4 and the mass number is 9, then how many electrons does it have

Question

Physics

Jazmine

1 March, 16:50

If the atomic number of an atom is 4 and the mass number is 9, then how many electrons does it have

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Clara Forbes · Answer 1

The atomic number of an atom says how many protons it has. This number cant change, since the atomic number is what gives elements their identities (in the periodic table, at least).

The mass number, on the other hand, says how many protons AND neutrons the atom has (so, the sum of P + and N0). So, electrons have nothing to do with this number.

Atoms are neutrally charged, which means there has to be an equal number of positive and negative particles. The negative particles of an atom are its electrons, and since our atom has 4 protons, it must also have 4 electrons.