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An atom has a central nucleus containing neutrons and protons - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 4 - 2023 - Paper 1
Question 4
An atom has a central nucleus containing neutrons and protons. Electrons orbit the nucleus. (i) Which row of the table gives the relative mass and charge of a proto... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:An atom has a central nucleus containing neutrons and protons - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 4 - 2023 - Paper 1
Step 1
Step 2
(ii) Calculate the ratio of the radius of the atom to the radius of the nucleus.
Answer
To find the ratio of the radius of the atom to the radius of the nucleus, we use the given values:
- Radius of the atom: m
- Radius of the nucleus: m
The ratio can be calculated as follows:
ext{Ratio} = rac{ ext{Radius of atom}}{ ext{Radius of nucleus}} = rac{1.0 × 10^{-10}}{1.0 × 10^{-15}} = 10^{5}
Thus, the ratio of the radius of the atom to the radius of the nucleus is .
Step 3
(iii) Explain why an atom has no charge overall.
Answer
An atom has no charge overall because it contains an equal number of protons and electrons. Protons carry a positive charge, while electrons carry a negative charge. Since these charges balance each other out, the atom remains electrically neutral. Neutrons, which have no charge, do not affect the overall charge of the atom.