Search results
The element carbon (C) has an atomic number of 6, which means that all neutral carbon atoms contain 6 protons and 6 electrons. In a typical sample of carbon-containing material, 98.89% of the carbon atoms also contain 6 neutrons, so each has a mass number of 12.
Phosphorus is the 15th element in the periodic table and has a symbol of P and atomic number of 15. It has an atomic weight of 30.97376 and a mass number of 31. Phosphorus has fifteen protons and sixteen neutrons in its nucleus, and fifteen electrons in three shells. It is located in group fifteen, period three and block p of the periodic table.
All the atoms of a given element have the same atomic number: 1 for hydrogen, 6 for carbon, 15 for phosphorus, and so on; but they can have different mass numbers depending on how many neutrons they contain.
The oxygen is released to the atmosphere, fresh water and seas, and the hydrogen joins with carbon dioxide to produce carbohydrates. Some of the carbohydrates are used, along with nitrogen, phosphorus and other elements, to form the other monomer molecules of life.
Protons and neutrons are found in the nucleus of an atom. Electrons are found in energy levels around the nucleus as shown in the diagram representing a carbon atom with 6 protons, 6 neutrons and 6 electrons. In chemistry we are particularly interested in electrons.
All atoms contain protons, electrons, and neutrons (Figure 3.2). The only exception is hydrogen (H), which is made of one proton and one electron. A proton is a positively charged particle that resides in the nucleus (the core of the atom) of an atom and has a mass of 1 and a charge of +1.
Carbon-12 is composed of 6 protons, 6 neutrons, and 6 electrons. Carbon-13 is a natural, stable isotope of carbon with a nucleus containing six protons and seven neutrons. As one of the environmental isotopes, it makes up about 1.1% of all natural carbon on Earth.
