State everything you know about the following atoms. Do NOT assume that they are balanced or neutral.
Atomic number = 98
Mass number = 101
Everything I know??? That might be volumes. It might also be minuscule. At any rate, what the problem is getting at is for you to look at the periodic table and identify element #98. I am having trouble with the mass number of 101 (I might believe number of neutrons = 101 which would make the mass number 199). Here is a site that will give you more information.
http://www.webelements.com/californium/
I put down that there are 98 protons, 3 neutrons
That would be right for a mass number of 101 and an atomic number of 98. Do you know why that is highly unlikely? Mostly because the repulsive force between 98 protons is enormous; more neutrons must be in the mix to help hold the nucleus together.
To obtain information about an atom with atomic number 98 and mass number 101, we need to refer to the periodic table. The atomic number represents the number of protons in an atom, while the mass number is the sum of protons and neutrons.
1. Atomic Number: The atomic number is given as 98, which means the atom has 98 protons in its nucleus.
2. Neutrons: To find the number of neutrons, subtract the atomic number from the mass number:
Neutrons = Mass number - Atomic number
Neutrons = 101 - 98
Neutrons = 3
3. Electrons: In a neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons. Therefore, this atom would also have 98 electrons if it is neutral.
4. Chemical Symbol: Looking up the periodic table, we find that atomic number 98 corresponds to the chemical element called Californium. Its chemical symbol is Cf.
5. Isotopes: The given mass number (101) is slightly different from the weighted average of the atomic masses of all known Californium isotopes. This suggests that the atom is an isotope of Californium.
6. Charge: Since the question specifies not to assume if the atom is balanced or neutral, we cannot determine the charge of the atom without additional information. A balanced or neutral atom has an equal number of protons and electrons.
In summary, the information we can deduce about the given atom (atomic number 98, mass number 101) without assuming its balance or neutrality is that it corresponds to the element Californium (chemical symbol Cf). It has 98 protons, 3 neutrons, and the number of electrons would be equal to the number of protons if the atom is neutral.