Atomic Structure of Potassium: Protons, Neutrons, and Electrons

How many protons, neutrons, and electrons does the element Potassium have?

Which of the following options correctly represents the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in Potassium?

A) 19 protons, 19 neutrons, 19 electrons

B) 19 protons, 20 neutrons, 19 electrons

D) 19 protons, 39 neutrons, 19 electrons

Answer:

Potassium has 19 protons, 20 neutrons, and 19 electrons.

Potassium, with the chemical symbol K, has an atomic number of 19. This means that Potassium has 19 protons in its nucleus. The atomic mass of Potassium is approximately 39.098.

To determine the number of neutrons in Potassium, we subtract the atomic number from the atomic mass. Therefore, Potassium has 20 neutrons.

In a neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons. Hence, Potassium also has 19 electrons orbiting around the nucleus.

So, the correct representation of the atomic structure of Potassium is 19 protons, 20 neutrons, and 19 electrons.