Question

station 1
understanding the periodic table
which of the following lists show the elements in order, from those having the least protons to those having the most protons in the atoms?
a. k, mg, n, o
b. c, al, p, cl
c. li, be, h, he
d. na, ne, he, h

Explanation:

To solve this, we need to know the atomic number (which equals the number of protons) of each element:

• For option A: K (potassium) has atomic number 19, Mg (magnesium) has 12, N (nitrogen) has 7, O (oxygen) has 8. The order from least to most protons should be N, O, Mg, K. So A is incorrect.
• For option B: C (carbon) has atomic number 6, Al (aluminum) has 13, P (phosphorus) has 15, Cl (chlorine) has 17. The order 6, 13, 15, 17 is from least to most protons.
• For option C: Li (lithium) has 3, Be (beryllium) has 4, H (hydrogen) has 1, He (helium) has 2. The correct order from least to most should be H, He, Li, Be. So C is incorrect.
• For option D: Na (sodium) has 11, Ne (neon) has 10, He (helium) has 2, H (hydrogen) has 1. The correct order from least to most should be H, He, Ne, Na. So D is incorrect.

Answer:

B. C, Al, P, Cl