The mass number of the sulphur atom is ? (Atomic number = 16 and number of neutrons = 16)

A. 18

B. 32

C. 24

D. 16

The mass number of an atom is a crucial concept in understanding its structure. For the sulfur atom in question, we can calculate the mass number using the information provided: the atomic number and the number of neutrons. The atomic number of sulfur is 16, which tells us that it has 16 protons. The mass number is the sum of the protons and neutrons in the nucleus of the atom.

Calculating the Mass Number

To find the mass number, we can use the following formula:

• Mass Number (A) = Number of Protons (Z) + Number of Neutrons (N)

In this case:

• Number of Protons (Z) = 16
• Number of Neutrons (N) = 16

Now, substituting these values into the formula gives us:

• Mass Number (A) = 16 (protons) + 16 (neutrons) = 32

Understanding the Options

Now that we have calculated the mass number to be 32, let's look at the options provided:

• A. 18
• B. 32
• C. 24
• D. 16

From our calculation, the correct answer is clearly B. 32.

Why Mass Number Matters

The mass number is significant because it helps in identifying isotopes of an element. Isotopes are variants of an element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. For sulfur, knowing that it has a mass number of 32 allows scientists to distinguish it from other isotopes of sulfur, which may have different neutron counts and thus different mass numbers.

In summary, the mass number of the sulfur atom, given that it has an atomic number of 16 and 16 neutrons, is 32. This understanding is fundamental in fields like chemistry and nuclear physics, where the behavior of elements and their isotopes plays a vital role in various applications.