An atom of the element zinc has an atomic number of 30 and a mass number of 65. How many protons does it have?

A. 30
B. 35
C. 65
D. 95



Answer :

To solve the problem related to the element zunc, we need to determine the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom of zunc. Here is the step-by-step process:

1. Understanding Atomic Number and Mass Number:
- The atomic number (denoted as [tex]\( Z \)[/tex]) of zunc is given as 30. The atomic number represents the number of protons in the nucleus of the atom.
- The mass number (denoted as [tex]\( A \)[/tex]) is given as 65. The mass number is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus.

2. Calculating the Number of Protons:
- By definition, the atomic number is equal to the number of protons.
- Therefore, the number of protons in zunc is:
[tex]\[ \text{Number of Protons} = 30 \][/tex]

3. Calculating the Number of Neutrons:
- The mass number is the sum of the number of protons and neutrons.
- To find the number of neutrons, we subtract the atomic number from the mass number:
[tex]\[ \text{Number of Neutrons} = \text{Mass Number} - \text{Atomic Number} \][/tex]
[tex]\[ \text{Number of Neutrons} = 65 - 30 = 35 \][/tex]

4. Calculating the Number of Electrons:
- In a neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons.
- Therefore, the number of electrons in zunc is:
[tex]\[ \text{Number of Electrons} = \text{Number of Protons} = 30 \][/tex]

In summary:
- The number of protons in zunc is 30.
- The number of neutrons in zunc is 35.
- The number of electrons in a neutral atom of zunc is 30.

So, the final answer is:
- Protons: 30
- Neutrons: 35
- Electrons: 30