Write a brief passage describing a neutral atom of nitrogen-14 (N-14). Describe the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in the atom, where each type of particle is located, and how the terms atomic number, mass number, and atomic mass are related to the particles. Use the periodic table to help you.
A neutral atom of nitrogen-14 (N-14) consists of 7 protons, 7 neutrons, and 7 electrons. Protons and neutrons are located in the nucleus, which is the central part of the atom. Electrons orbit around the nucleus in specific energy levels or shells.
The atomic number of an element corresponds to the number of protons in its nucleus. In the case of nitrogen-14, the atomic number is 7 because it has 7 protons. The atomic number determines the identity of the element. So, any atom with 7 protons will always be nitrogen.
The mass number refers to the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. For nitrogen-14, it has a mass number of 14, which is the sum of its 7 protons and 7 neutrons. This means that the nucleus of nitrogen-14 contains 7 protons and 7 neutrons.
The atomic mass of an element, typically expressed as a decimal number, represents the average mass of all the naturally occurring isotopes of that element. It takes into account the relative abundance of each isotope. In the case of nitrogen, which has two isotopes (N-14 and N-15), the atomic mass is usually given as 14.007 amu (atomic mass units). This value is slightly larger than the mass number of N-14 because it considers the small contribution from the N-15 isotope, which is present in trace amounts.
To determine the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom, you can refer to the periodic table. Find the element nitrogen (N) and locate its atomic number, which tells you the number of protons and electrons. The mass number can be calculated by summing the number of protons and neutrons. Subtracting the number of protons (atomic number) from the mass number will give you the number of neutrons.
So, in summary, a neutral atom of nitrogen-14 (N-14) has 7 protons, 7 neutrons, and 7 electrons. The protons and neutrons are located in the nucleus, while the electrons orbit around the nucleus in energy levels. The atomic number represents the number of protons, the mass number is the sum of protons and neutrons, and the atomic mass considers the average mass of all naturally occurring isotopes of an element, taking into account their relative abundance.