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An atom of potassium has an atomic number of 19 and a mass number of 39 - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 4 - 2016 - Paper 1
Question 4
An atom of potassium has an atomic number of 19 and a mass number of 39. (i) Complete the table to show the number of protons, neutrons and electrons in this potass... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:An atom of potassium has an atomic number of 19 and a mass number of 39 - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 4 - 2016 - Paper 1
Step 1
Complete the table to show the number of protons, neutrons and electrons in this potassium atom.
Answer
The atomic number of potassium (19) indicates that there are 19 protons in the atom.
To find the number of neutrons: Mass number - Atomic number = Neutrons 39 - 19 = 20 neutrons.
The number of electrons in a neutral atom is equal to the number of protons, which is 19.
Step 2
Describe the positions of these particles in the potassium atom.
Answer
Protons and neutrons are located in the nucleus of the potassium atom. They form the central core and are held together by strong nuclear forces. Electrons orbit the nucleus in various energy levels or shells, moving around in defined paths or regions of space called orbitals.
Step 3
Step 4