There are 9 protons and 10 electrons
What is the element and is it atom or ion?
The element with 9 protons is fluorine (F). If it has 10 electrons, then it would be considered an ion rather than a neutral atom. Specifically, it would be a negatively charged fluorine ion with a charge of -1, written as F-.
To determine the element and if it is an atom or an ion, we need to compare the number of protons (also known as the atomic number) with the number of electrons.
In a neutral atom, the number of protons equals the number of electrons. However, if there is a difference in the number of protons and electrons, it becomes an ion.
In this case, we have 9 protons and 10 electrons. This means that the element has one more electron than protons, indicating a negative charge. Therefore, the element is an ion since it has gained an extra electron, making it negatively charged.