Approximately how many times heavier is a helium (He) atom compared to a hydrogen (H) atom?

• A. About 2 times heavier
• B. About 8 times heavier
• C. About 16 times heavier
• D. About 4 times heavier

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the atomic masses of helium (He) and hydrogen (H) atoms. The atomic mass of hydrogen is approximately 1 atomic mass unit (amu), and the atomic mass of helium is approximately 4 amu.
2. Understand that the question asks for how many times heavier a helium atom is compared to a hydrogen atom, which means you need to find the ratio of their atomic masses.
3. Set up the ratio as: \(\frac{\text{mass of He}}{\text{mass of H}}\).
4. Substitute the atomic masses into the ratio: \(\frac{4\, \text{amu}}{1\, \text{amu}}\).
5. Simplify the ratio to find that a helium atom is about 4 times heavier than a hydrogen atom.