Proton Chemistry Example 4
Follow the full solution, then compare it with the other examples linked below.
Example 4
mediumWhy doesn't sodium turn into magnesium during an ordinary chemical reaction, even if electrons are lost or gained?
Solution
- 1 Sodium remains sodium because it still has 11 protons. The proton count determines the element.
- 2 Ordinary chemical reactions rearrange electrons, not protons. Changing the proton count would be a nuclear process, not a chemical one.
Answer
Because sodium keeps its 11 protons. Chemical reactions change electrons, not protons.
Protons are the identity markers of atoms. As long as the proton count stays the same, the element stays the same even if the atom becomes an ion.
About Proton
A positively charged subatomic particle found in the nucleus of every atom, with a charge of and a mass of approximately 1 atomic mass.
Learn more about Proton →More Proton Examples
Example 1 easy
A sulfur atom has 16 protons. What is its atomic number, and how does the number of protons relate t
Example 2 mediumThe mass of a single proton is approximately [formula] g. How many protons would it take to have a c
Example 3 easyHow many protons are in an atom of potassium (K, atomic number 19)?