Chlorine-35 is an isotope of chlorine, which is a chemical element with the symbol Cl. To understand the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in chlorine-35, we need to look at its atomic number and mass number.
The atomic number of chlorine is 17. This means that chlorine has 17 protons in its nucleus. In a neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons, so chlorine-35 also has 17 electrons.
The mass number of chlorine-35 is 35. The mass number is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom. Since we already know that chlorine has 17 protons, we can find the number of neutrons by subtracting the number of protons from the mass number:
Number of Neutrons = Mass Number – Atomic Number
Number of Neutrons = 35 – 17 = 18
So, in summary:
- Protons: 17
- Neutrons: 18
- Electrons: 17
This configuration helps us understand the basic properties of chlorine-35 and its behavior in chemical reactions.