All the atoms in an element have the same number of protons.
An element is the purest form of matter and consists of atoms. For example, iron is an element and consists of iron atoms. Interestingly, all the atoms of an element may or may not be identical. The differences between the atoms may be caused by different numbers of sub-atomic particles in them. Protons, neutrons and electrons are the sub-atomic particles of interest. All the atoms in an element will have the same number of protons and electrons, although some atoms may have different number of neutrons. Such atoms, containing different numbers of neutrons, are called isotopes.
Protons are positively charged particles. The number of protons in an atom is the same as the atomic number of that element. For example, sodium has an atomic number of 11 and its atoms contain 11 protons each.
Hope this helps.
Comments
Post a Comment