Fluorine occurs naturally as a single isotope. How many protons, neutrons, and electrons are present in deuterium fluoride (2HF)? (Deuterium is 2H.)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the components of deuterium fluoride (2HF): deuterium (2H) and fluorine (F).
2. Determine the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in deuterium (2H): Deuterium is an isotope of hydrogen with 1 proton, 1 neutron, and 1 electron.
3. Determine the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in fluorine (F): Fluorine has an atomic number of 9, so it has 9 protons and 9 electrons. The most common isotope of fluorine is 19F, which has 10 neutrons.
4. Combine the information for deuterium and fluorine to find the total number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in deuterium fluoride (2HF).
5. Sum the protons, neutrons, and electrons from both deuterium and fluorine to get the total count for the molecule.

Key Concepts

Isotopes

Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. For example, deuterium (2H) is an isotope of hydrogen that contains one proton and one neutron, distinguishing it from the more common hydrogen isotope, which has no neutrons.

Chemical Composition of Compounds

The chemical composition of a compound refers to the types and numbers of atoms that make up the molecule. In the case of deuterium fluoride (2HF), the formula indicates that each molecule consists of one deuterium atom and one fluorine atom, allowing us to determine the total number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in the compound.

Atomic Structure

Atomic structure describes the arrangement of protons, neutrons, and electrons within an atom. Protons and neutrons reside in the nucleus, while electrons orbit around it. Understanding atomic structure is essential for calculating the total number of these subatomic particles in a molecule, such as deuterium fluoride.