Quiz 2 Flashcards
The number of protons in an atom is equal to the number of ___
electrons
Who first characterized the electron?
J.J. Thomson
Where are electrons located in an atom?
electron cloud
Who first characterized the neutron?
James Chadwick
Who first characterized the nucleus of an atom?
Ernest Rutherford
Why does the nucleus of every atom have an overall positive charge?
protons have positive charge and neutrons are neutral
Why is almost all of the mass of an atom located in the nucleus?
protons and neutrons are 1837 and 1839 times heavier than electrons
What is a nucleon?
any subatomic particle found in the nucleus of an atom
Protons have a mass slightly _____ than a neutron.
less
The ____ is the most massive of all the particles
neutron
What does “charge neutrality” refer to?
the fact that atoms are electrically neutral
What are isotopes?
atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons and electrons, but different numbers of neutrons
What is the relationship between the atomic numbers and mass numbers of two atoms that are
isotopes of the same element?
Atoms of the same element will have the same number of protons and thus the same atomic
numbers. However, since isotopes of the same element have different numbers of neutrons, they
will have different mass numbers.
What does the atomic number refer to?
number of protons in the nucleus of an atom (also electrons since there are the same amount)
What does the mass number refer to?
total number of protons and neutrons in nucleus