Question

The picture shows a model of a helium atom and a model of a lithium atom.


Which of the following statements is true about the lithium and the helium atoms?
A.
Helium has more protons, neutrons, and electrons.
B.
Lithium is much smaller than helium.
C.
Lithium has more protons, neutrons, and electrons.
D.
There is no difference between helium and lithium.

Answer 1

C. Lithium has more protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Reason: Helium has atomic number 2 (2 protons, 2 electrons; common isotope has 2 neutrons), while lithium has atomic number 3 (3 protons, 3 electrons; common isotope Li-7 has 4 neutrons), so lithium contains more of each.