Which subatomic particle determines the mass of an atom?
The subatomic particle that determines the mass of an atom is the neutron.
The subatomic particle that determines the mass of an atom is called the neutron.
The subatomic particle that determines the mass of an atom is the neutron. In order to determine this, you can refer to the periodic table of elements.
To find the mass of an atom, you need to look for its atomic number and atomic mass. The atomic number represents the number of protons in an atom, while the atomic mass represents the weighted average of the masses of all the isotopes of that element.
The atomic mass of an element is usually shown as a decimal number on the periodic table. This is because it takes into account the different isotopes of that element, each with a slightly different mass. The atomic mass is weighted by the abundance of each isotope.
In most cases, the atomic mass is very close to the sum of the protons and neutrons in the atom. Since protons have a mass of approximately 1 atomic mass unit (amu) each, and neutrons have a mass of approximately 1 amu each as well, the atomic mass can be considered as the sum of protons and neutrons.
Therefore, by subtracting the atomic number (number of protons) from the atomic mass of an atom, you can find the number of neutrons in that atom, which ultimately determines its mass.