Question

elaborate
atoms are the building blocks for every living and non - living thing. they are so small that trillions of atoms make up a grain of sand. yes, trillions! all atoms share the same basic structure, consisting of smaller particles called protons, neutrons, and electrons. the protons and neutrons form the nucleus in the center of an atom. the electrons are much smaller and are found outside of the nucleus. a nucleus with a balanced amount of protons and neutrons is stable. if the forces between protons and neutrons in the nucleus are unbalanced, then the atom becomes unstable. unstable atoms undergo radioactive decay, releasing energy to become stable.
an element is a particular type of atom. atoms of different elements have different numbers of protons. for example, an atom of hydrogen has one proton, and an atom of oxygen has 8 protons. compounds are substances made up of multiple elements bonded together. water (h₂o) is a compound made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. the atoms carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen make up 96% of the human body by forming different compounds. these compounds act as the building blocks for life.
directions: you will use the phet simulation “build an atom!” for this activity.

1. open the simulation by using the link or qr code:

https://360learn.in/ey34p
lancaster, kelly et. al.. “build an atom.” phet. university of colorado boulder, 06 dec. 2016

1. select “atom”.
2. make sure that the “element” box is checked, and that the “neutral/ion” and stable/unstable” boxes are unchecked.
3. open the “mass number” and “net charge” drop - down menus by clicking the green “+” signs.
4. use the simulation to build atoms with the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons listed in the table by dragging and dropping the subatomic particles to the “x”.
5. record the missing information about each atom in the table for the first 4 rows.
6. choose two elements to complete on your own in the last two rows of the table.

element name|element symbol|mass number|# of protons|# of neutrons|# of electrons|

	1	0	1
	6	6	6
	7	7	7
	8	8	8

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d lifelone ca biology a|module 1|hs - l4l biology a (2024)

Explanation:

Step1: Recall element - proton relationship

The number of protons determines the element. For 1 proton, it is hydrogen (H), mass number = protons + neutrons, so mass number is 1.

Step2: Identify element for 6 protons

For 6 protons, the element is carbon (C), and mass number = 6 + 6=12.

Step3: Identify element for 7 protons

For 7 protons, the element is nitrogen (N), and mass number = 7+7 = 14.

Step4: Identify element for 8 protons

For 8 protons, the element is oxygen (O), and mass number = 8 + 8=16.

Step5: Choose two more elements

Let's choose sodium (Na) with 11 protons, assume 12 neutrons, so mass number is 11 + 12=23, and 11 electrons. Also, chlorine (Cl) with 17 protons, assume 18 neutrons, mass number is 17+18 = 35, and 17 electrons.

Answer:

Element Name	Element Symbol	Mass Number	# of Protons	# of Neutrons	# of Electrons
Carbon	C	12	6	6	6
Nitrogen	N	14	7	7	7
Oxygen	O	16	8	8	8
Sodium	Na	23	11	12	11
Chlorine	Cl	35	17	18	17