Question

what is the charge on a hypothetical ion with 45 protons and 49 electrons?

Explanation:

Step1: Recall charge of proton and electron

A proton has a charge of \(+1\) (in elementary charge units) and an electron has a charge of \(-1\).

Step2: Calculate total positive charge from protons

Number of protons \(n_p = 45\), so total positive charge \(Q_p=45\times( + 1)= + 45\).

Step3: Calculate total negative charge from electrons

Number of electrons \(n_e = 49\), so total negative charge \(Q_e=49\times(- 1)=-49\).

Step4: Calculate net charge of the ion

Net charge \(Q = Q_p+Q_e=45+( - 49)=45 - 49=- 4\).

Answer:

The charge on the ion is \(-4\) (or we can say the ion has a charge of \(4-\) as it has 4 more electrons than protons).