Geoffry has the atoms of an unknown element. His experiment concludes that these atoms are electrically neutral. What is the only thing he can say for certain about the atomic structure of the element with this information?

Question

A) The atomic number and the atomic mass are the same.
B) The number of protons and the number of neutrons are the same.
C) The object belongs in the period IIVA.
D) The number of protons and the number of electrons are the same.

Answer 1

The only thing Geoffry can say for certain about the atomic structure of the unknown element, given that the atoms are electrically neutral, is:

D) The number of protons and the number of electrons are the same.

This is because an atom is electrically neutral when the positive charge from the protons is balanced by the negative charge from the electrons. Therefore, having an equal number of protons and electrons ensures the atom has no net charge.