Question

Which statements are true? (a) Neutrons have neither mass nor charge. (b) Isotopes of an element have an identical number of protons. (c) C-14 and N-14 have identical neutron/proton (n/p \(^{+}\) ) ratios. (d) The vertical columns in a periodic table are referred to as "groups." (e) When an atom loses an electron, it becomes positively charged.

Short answer

a) Neutrons have neither mass nor charge. b) Isotopes of an element have an identical number of protons. c) C-14 and N-14 have identical neutron/proton (n/p \(^{+}\) ) ratios. d) The vertical columns in a periodic table are referred to as "groups." e) When an atom loses an electron, it becomes positively charged.

Step-by-step solution

Statement (a)

Neutrons have neither mass nor charge. This statement is false. Neutrons do have mass, similar to protons' mass. However, they do not have charge, unlike protons (positive) and electrons (negative).

Statement (b)

Isotopes of an element have an identical number of protons. This statement is true. Isotopes of an element have the same atomic number, meaning they have the same number of protons. However, they have different numbers of neutrons, which results in different atomic masses.

Statement (c)

C-14 and N-14 have identical neutron/proton (n/p \(^{+}\) ) ratios. This statement is false. C-14 has 6 protons and 8 neutrons, while N-14 has 7 protons and 7 neutrons. The n/p \(^{+}\) ratio for C-14 is 8/6, while for N-14, it is 7/7. These ratios are not identical.

Statement (d)

The vertical columns in a periodic table are referred to as "groups." This statement is true. In the periodic table, the vertical columns are called groups, and elements in the same group usually have similar properties. There are 18 groups in the standard periodic table.

Statement (e)

When an atom loses an electron, it becomes positively charged. This statement is true. When an atom loses an electron, the number of protons in the nucleus remains the same, but there are fewer negatively charged electrons to balance the positive charge of the protons. As a result, the atom will have a net positive charge and become a positively charged ion (cation).

Key concepts

Neutron

Neutrons are fascinating subatomic particles that exist within an atom's nucleus. One of the critical features of neutrons is that they are electrically neutral, which means they carry no charge. However, don't let their neutrality fool you into thinking they are massless. Neutrons have a mass that is almost equal to that of protons, making them an essential component of an atom's mass.

In terms of function, neutrons play a vital role in keeping the nucleus stable. Without them, the positively charged protons would repel each other due to their like charges. By adding neutrons to the mix, atomic nuclei can exist without falling apart. This is crucial for the structural integrity of atoms and, by extension, the vast array of elements we encounter in the world.

Summarizing key points about neutrons:

• Neutrons are neutral in charge.
• They have a mass similar to protons.
• They help stabilize the nucleus by offsetting proton repulsion.

Isotopes

Isotopes are variations of the same element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. This distinction is crucial for understanding the properties and behavior of various atoms. Since isotopes have the same number of protons, they share an atomic number but differ in their atomic masses.

For example, carbon has several isotopes, including C-12 and C-14. Both of these isotopes have six protons, but C-12 has six neutrons, while C-14 has eight neutrons. This difference in neutrons does not affect the chemical properties significantly but does have significant implications in fields like radiocarbon dating, where C-14's radioactivity is employed to date ancient artifacts.

Important aspects of isotopes to remember include:

• Isotopes have identical numbers of protons.
• They differ in the number of neutrons.
• Their chemical behavior is generally similar.

Atomic Charge

Atomic charge arises due to the arrangement of protons and electrons in an atom. Protons have a positive charge, and electrons have a negative charge, with these charges balancing out to make a neutral atom. However, when an atom gains or loses electrons, this balance is disrupted, leading to the formation of charged atoms known as ions.

If an atom loses electrons, it becomes positively charged and is known as a cation. This occurs because there are more protons than electrons, resulting in a net positive charge. Conversely, if an atom gains electrons, it will become negatively charged, forming an anion, due to an excess of electrons over protons.

Key points about atomic charge include:

• Protons are positively charged.
• Electrons are negatively charged.
• Neutral atoms can become ions by gaining or losing electrons.