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How does an S^2- ion differ from an electrically neutral sulfur atom?

16 P, 16 N

a. mass number

b. number of protons

c. number of electrons

d. atomic number

choose the correct answer

1 answer

An S²⁻ ion differs from an electrically neutral sulfur atom in the following way:

  • An electrically neutral sulfur atom has 16 electrons (equal to its 16 protons) to balance the charge.
  • An S²⁻ ion has gained 2 extra electrons, making the total number of electrons 18.

Given the provided options, the correct answer is:

c. number of electrons

In summary, the S²⁻ ion has 18 electrons, while the neutral sulfur atom has 16 electrons. The other options (mass number, number of protons, and atomic number) remain the same for both the sulfur atom and the S²⁻ ion.