Question

How do find the number of electrons, protons, and neutrons given a specific element?

Answer 1

Got a Periodic Table.........

Explanation:

The Periodic Table, which will made available to you in every test of physics and chemistry you ever sit, tells you EXPLICITLY the number of protons, electrons, and (to a first approx.) neutrons, in all the known elements.

For hydrogen, `"Z, the atomic number=1"`, for sulfur, `Z=16`, and for oxygen, `Z=8`. By definition, `Z` represents the number of nuclear protons, and thus specifies the ability of the element. And thus for one formula unit of `H_2SO_4`, the number of `"nucular protons"` `=` `16+4xx8+2=50`. Because these represent fundamental positive charges, you should be able to tell me how many electrons there are in the NEUTRAL molecule `"pdq"`.

The number of neutrons is a bit more problematic inasmuch as a given element can several isotopic forms. For sulfur, oxygen, and hydrogen we choose the COMMON isotopes, `""^1H`, `""^16O`, and `""^32S`, which have `0, 8,` and `16` neutrons respectively (the neutrons and the protons together represent the atomic mass). So you do the sum.

ARE you happy with this?