Question

Identify each of the following statements as true or false: a. A proton and an electron have opposite charges. b. The nucleus contains most of the mass of an atom. c. Electrons repel each other. d. A proton is attracted to a neutron.

Short answer

a. True, b. True, c. True, d. False

Step-by-step solution

- Analyze Statement (a)

Determine if a proton and an electron have opposite charges. Protons have a positive charge, while electrons have a negative charge. Since their charges are different in sign, this statement is true.

- Analyze Statement (b)

Determine if the nucleus contains most of the mass of an atom. The nucleus, composed of protons and neutrons, indeed contains the vast majority of an atom's mass. This statement is true.

- Analyze Statement (c)

Determine if electrons repel each other. Electrons carry a negative charge. According to Coulomb's law, like charges repel each other, so electrons do repel each other. This statement is true.

- Analyze Statement (d)

Determine if a proton is attracted to a neutron. A proton has a positive charge, while a neutron is electrically neutral. There is no electric force between them since the neutron has no charge. This statement is false.

Key concepts

proton and electron charges

Protons and electrons are fundamental particles with opposite charges. A proton carries a positive charge, represented as +1. An electron carries a negative charge, represented as -1. This difference in charge is crucial for the structure and behavior of atoms.

The opposite charges create an attractive force between protons and electrons. This attraction is what holds electrons in orbit around the atomic nucleus. Because protons and electrons have opposite charges, they cancel each other out in a neutral atom. This balance is vital for the stability of atoms.

atomic nucleus

The atomic nucleus is the dense core at the center of an atom. It contains protons and neutrons. The nucleus is incredibly small compared to the overall size of the atom, but it holds most of the atom's mass.

Since protons and neutrons are much more massive than electrons, nearly all the mass of an atom is concentrated in the nucleus. For example, a single proton or neutron is about 1,836 times heavier than an electron. This makes the nucleus the heavy centerpiece of the atom, while the surrounding electrons are relatively lightweight.

electron repulsion

Electrons, carrying negative charges, naturally repel each other. This principle stems from Coulomb's law, which states that like charges repel and opposite charges attract.

Because electrons have the same type of charge, they push away from one another. This repulsion influences the arrangement of electrons in an atom. Electrons arrange themselves in specific energy levels to minimize repulsion, leading to the unique electron configurations of different elements.

Understanding electron repulsion is essential for grasping how atoms interact, form bonds, and react with each other.

proton and neutron interaction

Protons and neutrons interact in the nucleus, but their interaction is not due to electric charge. Protons are positively charged, while neutrons are neutral. This neutrality means there is no electric force between them.

However, protons and neutrons are held together in the nucleus by a different force called the 'strong nuclear force.' This force is much stronger than the electric force, but it only acts over very short distances, like those within an atomic nucleus.

The strong nuclear force overcomes the repulsive force between protons (since they are all positively charged) and keeps the nucleus stable. This balance is what makes the atomic nucleus stable, despite the repulsive electric forces between multiple protons.