number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in phosphorus
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the fundamental subatomic particles that make up the element phosphorus. Specifically, it requires the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons found in an atom of phosphorus.
Answer
15 protons, 15 electrons, 16 neutrons
The phosphorus atom has 15 protons, 15 electrons, and 16 neutrons.
Answer for screen readers
The phosphorus atom has 15 protons, 15 electrons, and 16 neutrons.
More Information
Phosphorus is a non-metal element located in group 15 of the periodic table. The atomic number (15) tells us the number of protons and electrons in a neutral atom, whereas the difference between mass number (31) and atomic number gives the number of neutrons.
Tips
A common mistake is to confuse the mass number with the number of protons or electrons. Make sure to subtract the atomic number from the mass number to get the neutron count.
Sources
- Phosphorus - Hobart Periodic Table - hobart.k12.in.us
- An atom of phosphorus - Byju's - byjus.com
- Neutrons in phosphorus - Socratic - socratic.org
