Complete the missing information in the chart. Assume these are neutral atoms.

Question

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