Since an electron is so less massive than a proton, what is the approximate mass and charge of a neutral hydrogen atom
A)the mass of an electron, negative
B)the mass of a proton, neutral
C)the mass of a neutron, positive
D)the mass of a proton and neutron, positive

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A neutral hydrogen atom consists of one electron and one proton. Since the electron has much less mass than the proton, we can approximate the mass of a hydrogen atom as the mass of a proton. And since the hydrogen atom is neutral, the charge must be 0. Therefore, the best choice is B: the mass of a proton, neutral.

Since an Electron Is So Less Massive Than a Proton