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Multiple Choice
What is the mass number of a potassium (K) atom that has 20 neutrons?
A
39
B
40
C
20
D
19
Verified step by step guidance
1
Recall that the mass number (A) of an atom is the sum of the number of protons (Z) and neutrons (N) in its nucleus. This can be expressed as: \(A = Z + N\).
Identify the atomic number (Z) of potassium (K), which is the number of protons. For potassium, \(Z = 19\).
Use the given number of neutrons, which is \(N = 20\) in this problem.
Substitute the values into the mass number formula: \(A = 19 + 20\).
Add the numbers to find the mass number of the potassium atom.