To determine the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom, we start by understanding the definitions of atomic number and mass number.
The atomic number of an element indicates the number of protons found in the nucleus of an atom. For the element in question, which has an atomic number of 8, this means there are 8 protons.
In a neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons. Therefore, if the atom has 8 protons, it will also have 8 electrons.
The mass number of an atom is the sum of the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. In this case, the mass number is 17. We can find the number of neutrons by subtracting the atomic number from the mass number:
- Number of neutrons = Mass number – Atomic number
- Number of neutrons = 17 – 8 = 9
To summarize, for an atom with an atomic number of 8 and a mass number of 17:
- Protons: 8
- Electrons: 8
- Neutrons: 9