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Chapter 40: Problem 7

The mass of an atom (atomic mass) is equal to a) the sum of the masses of the protons. b) the sum of the masses of protons and neutrons. c) the sum of the masses of protons, neutrons and electrons. d) the sum of the masses of protons, neutrons, and electrons minus the atom's binding energy.

Short Answer

Expert verified
a) The sum of the masses of the protons b) The sum of the masses of protons and neutrons c) The sum of the masses of protons, neutrons, and electrons d) The sum of the masses of protons, neutrons, and electrons minus the atom's binding energy Answer: c) The sum of the masses of protons, neutrons, and electrons

Step by step solution

01

Analyze option a

Option a states that the atomic mass is equal to the sum of the masses of the protons. While protons do contribute to the atomic mass, this option does not take into consideration the mass of neutrons and electrons, which are also important components of an atom. Therefore, option a is not correct.
02

Analyze option b

Option b states that the atomic mass is equal to the sum of the masses of protons and neutrons. This option is more accurate than option a because it considers both protons and neutrons, which are the main contributors to the atomic mass. However, it still does not take into account the mass of electrons. Electrons have a smaller mass compared to protons and neutrons but still contribute to the atomic mass. Therefore, option b is closer to the correct answer but not complete.
03

Analyze option c

Option c states that the atomic mass is equal to the sum of the masses of protons, neutrons and electrons. This option is the most accurate because it takes into account all three components of an atom. Protons and neutrons contribute the most to the atomic mass as they are more massive compared to electrons. However, the mass of electrons is still important in calculating the atomic mass. Therefore, option c is the correct answer.
04

Analyze option d

Option d states that the atomic mass is equal to the sum of the masses of protons, neutrons, and electrons minus the atom's binding energy. This option is incorrect because the binding energy is not a mass and should not be included in the calculation of the atomic mass. Binding energy represents the energy required to separate the protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom. Therefore, option d is not correct.
05

Conclusion

The atomic mass of an atom is equal to the sum of the masses of protons, neutrons and electrons, which is described in option c.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

A nuclear reaction of the kind \({ }_{2}^{3} \mathrm{He}+{ }_{6}^{12} \mathrm{C} \rightarrow \mathrm{X}+\alpha\) is called a pick-up nuclear reaction. a) Why is it called a pick-up reaction, that is, what is picked up, what picked it up, and where did it come from? b) What is the resulting nucleus X? c) What is the \(\mathrm{Q}\) -value of this reaction? d) Is this reaction endothermic or exothermic?

Calculate the binding energy for the following two uranium isotopes: a) \({ }_{92}^{238} \mathrm{U},\) which consists of 92 protons, 92 electrons, and 146 neutrons, with a total mass of \(238.0507826 \mathrm{u}\). b) \({ }^{235} \mathrm{U},\) which consists of 92 protons, 92 electrons, and 143 neutrons, with a total mass of \(235.0439299 \mathrm{u} .\) The atomic mass unit \(\mathrm{u}=1.66 \cdot 10^{-27} \mathrm{~kg} .\) Which isotope is more stable (or less unstable)?

Write down equations to describe the \(\beta^{-}\) -decay of the following atoms: a) \({ }^{60} \mathrm{Co}\) b) \({ }^{3} \mathrm{H}\) c) \({ }^{14} \mathrm{C}\)

A certain radioactive isotope decays to one-eighth its original amount in \(5.0 \mathrm{~h}\). a) What is its half-life? b) What is its mean lifetime?

The strong force (select all that apply.) a) is only attractive. b) does not act on electrons. c) only acts over a few \(\mathrm{fm}\). d) All of the above are true. e) None of the above are true.
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