Question

which is more stable: 16 protons, 16 neutrons, and 16 electrons when they are combined as two 16 o atoms or as one 32 s atom?

Answer 1

hello

the answer to the question is:

a dioxide bond which consists of two ¹⁶O or two oxygens (O2) is a strong stable bond

whereas a sulfide bond consisting of two ³²S or two sulfurs (S2) is not as strong of a bond due to its larger size compared to a dioxide bond

if you're comparing a dioxide molecule to an atom of sulfur, since sulfur naturally is less stable and more reactive, and oxygen bonded molecule either with another oxygen or hydrogen is more stable

in addition, atoms are less stable than molecules, hence a sulfur atom is less stable than a dioxide molecule