Question

Complete the missing information in the chart. Assume these are neutral atoms.
Element symbol S Atomic number ___ Mass number __ Number of neutrons 16 number of electrons. __

Answer 1

To complete the missing information for the element sulfur (S):

1. **Element symbol**: S
2. **Atomic number**: 16 (This is the number of protons in the nucleus of the atom, and for a neutral atom, it is also equal to the number of electrons.)
3. **Mass number**: The mass number of an atom is the total number of protons and neutrons. For sulfur, the most common isotope has a mass number of 32 (16 protons + 16 neutrons).
4. **Number of neutrons**: For sulfur with a mass number of 32 and an atomic number of 16, the number of neutrons is calculated as follows:
\[
\text{Number of neutrons} = \text{Mass number} - \text{Atomic number} = 32 - 16 = 16.
\]
5. **Number of electrons**: For a neutral atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons, which is 16.

So the completed chart looks like this:

- Element symbol: S
- Atomic number: 16
- Mass number: 32
- Number of neutrons: 16
- Number of electrons: 16