Question

identifying the properties of zinc
locate the element zinc (zn) on the periodic table.
how many protons does an atom of zinc contain?
how many electrons does an atom of zinc contain?
how many neutrons does an atom of zinc contain? give your answer to the nearest whole number.

Explanation:

Step1: Recall atomic number concept

The atomic number of an element is equal to the number of protons. Zinc has an atomic number of 30. So, the number of protons in a zinc atom is 30.

Step2: Recall electron - proton relationship in neutral atoms

In a neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons. Since zinc has 30 protons, it has 30 electrons.

Step3: Recall atomic mass and calculate neutrons

The average atomic mass of zinc is approximately 65.38. The number of neutrons is calculated by subtracting the atomic number from the atomic mass (rounded to the nearest whole number). So, $n = 65 - 30=35$ (rounded to the nearest whole number).

Answer:

Number of protons: 30
Number of electrons: 30
Number of neutrons: 35