How many protons, neutrons and electrons does Chlorine have?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Chlorine (Cl) has the following atomic composition:
- Protons: Chlorine has 17 protons. The number of protons in an atom is always equal to its atomic number, which for chlorine is 17. This defines the element and gives it its unique identity.
- Neutrons: The number of neutrons in chlorine depends on its isotope. The most common isotope of chlorine is chlorine-35 (Cl-35), which has 18 neutrons. This is calculated by subtracting the atomic number (17) from the atomic mass number (35). Some chlorine atoms can also be chlorine-37 (Cl-37), which has 20 neutrons, because the atomic mass number for chlorine-37 is 37.
- Electrons: In a neutral chlorine atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons, so chlorine has 17 electrons. These electrons are arranged in shells around the nucleus, with the first shell holding 2 electrons, the second shell holding 8 electrons, and the third shell holding the remaining 7 electrons. This gives chlorine its electron configuration of 2, 8, 7.
In summary, a chlorine atom has:
- 17 protons
- 18 neutrons (for the most common isotope, Cl-35)
- 17 electrons
These atomic properties contribute to the chemical behavior of chlorine, particularly its tendency to gain an electron to form a stable chloride ion (Cl-) with a full outer shell of 8 electrons.
