Question

The nucleus of a nitrogen atom contains 7 neutrons and 7 protons. Which of the following is a correct statement concerning nitrogen?

A) The nitrogen atom has a mass number of approximately 7 and an atomic number of 14.
B) The nitrogen atom has a mass number of approximately 14 and an atomic number of 7.
C) The nitrogen atom has a mass number of approximately 14 and an atomic number of 14.
D) The nitrogen atom has a mass number of approximately 7 and an atomic number of 21.
E) The nitrogen atom has a mass number of approximately 14 and an atomic number of 21

Answer 1

The correct statement about the nitrogen atom with 7 protons and 7 neutrons is that it has a mass number of 14 and an atomic number of 7.

Step-by-step explanation:

The mass number of an atom is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus, while the atomic number is the number of protons. For the nitrogen atom in question, which contains 7 protons and 7 neutrons, we calculate the mass number by adding the number of protons (atomic number) to the number of neutrons. Thus, the mass number is 7 (protons) + 7 (neutrons) = 14. The atomic number, which is the number of protons in the nucleus, is 7.

Therefore, the correct statement concerning nitrogen is:

• B) The nitrogen atom has a mass number of approximately 14 and an atomic number of 7.