In a stable atom, the number of protons equals the number of___________
A. Nuclei
B. Electrons
C. Neutrons
D. Isotopes
Most stable atoms are when there is no charge. On a periodic table this would be the least reactive group on the period table. So your answer is..?
Angel, take it one step further: The most stable atoms are when there is no charge. So, if protons are positively charged, which answer choice in equal number would cancel out the positively charged protons to give a net charge of zero?
Chemical stability, or nuclear isotope stability? Iron is more stable than Florine. Gold is quite stable. So the question here really ought to be reworked. Maybe my nuclear physics background is haunting me here. For nuclear stability, protons roughly equal neutrons in stable atoms.
In a stable atom, the number of protons equals the number of electrons. To find the answer, we need to understand the basic structure of an atom.
An atom consists of three main subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons carry a positive charge, neutrons have no charge (they are neutral), and electrons carry a negative charge. The number of protons in an atom determines its atomic number and defines the element. For example, an atom with one proton is hydrogen, while an atom with six protons is carbon.
In a stable atom, the number of protons is equal to the number of electrons. This is because the positive charge from the protons is balanced by the negative charge of an equal number of electrons. The electrons orbit around the nucleus, which contains the protons and neutrons.
So, the correct answer is B. Electrons. In a stable atom, the number of protons equals the number of electrons.