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For example, a neutral chlorine atom has 17 protons and 17 electrons, whereas a Cl − anion has 17 protons and 18 electrons for a total charge of −1. All atoms of a given element are not necessarily identical, however. The number of neutrons may vary to form different isotopes, and energy levels may differ, resulting in different nuclear ...
Electrons surround a nucleus made of protons and neutrons, which contain up and down quarks. The second and third generations of charged particles do not occur in normal matter and are only seen in extremely high-energy environments such as cosmic rays or particle accelerators.
), an electron (e −) and an electron antineutrino (ν e) (see picture). This occurs when one of the down quarks in the neutron (u d d) decays into an up quark by emitting a virtual W − boson, transforming the neutron into a proton (u u d). The W − boson then decays into an electron and an electron antineutrino. [72]
A table or chart of nuclides is a two-dimensional graph of isotopes of the elements, in which one axis represents the number of neutrons (symbol N) and the other represents the number of protons (atomic number, symbol Z) in the atomic nucleus. Each point plotted on the graph thus represents a nuclide of a known or hypothetical chemical element.
The electron configuration is determined by the charge of the nucleus, which is determined by the number of protons, or atomic number. The number of neutrons is the neutron number. Neutrons do not affect the electron configuration. Atoms of a chemical element that differ only in neutron number are called isotopes.
Four quantum numbers can describe an electron energy level in a hydrogen-like atom completely: Principal quantum number (n) Azimuthal quantum number (ℓ) Magnetic quantum number (m ℓ) Spin quantum number (m s) These quantum numbers are also used in the classical description of nuclear particle states (e.g. protons and neutrons).
A model of an atomic nucleus showing it as a compact bundle of protons (red) and neutrons (blue), the two types of nucleons.In this diagram, protons and neutrons look like little balls stuck together, but an actual nucleus (as understood by modern nuclear physics) cannot be explained like this, but only by using quantum mechanics.
Here [Ne] refers to the core electrons which are the same as for the element neon (Ne), the last noble gas before phosphorus in the periodic table. The valence electrons (here 3s 2 3p 3) are written explicitly for all atoms. Electron configurations of elements beyond hassium (element 108) have never been measured; predictions are used below.