An atom of chlorine-37 has
A)20 protons and 17 neutrons.
B)37 neutrons and 17 protons.
C)17 protons and 20 neutrons.
D)17 neutrons and 37 protons.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The atomic number of an atom is equal to its number of protons. Chlorine-37 has a mass number of 37, which is the sum of its protons and neutrons. Since the atomic number of chlorine is 17, this means that there are 17 protons in the nucleus of this atom. The remaining 20 particles (37 - 17 = 20) must be neutrons, so choice C is the correct answer.

An Atom of Chlorine-37 Has