Which of the following statements is true regarding the number of electrons in neutral potassium (K) and neutral neon (Ne) atoms?

• A. Neutral potassium has more electrons than neutral neon.
• B. Neutral neon has more electrons than neutral potassium.
• C. Neutral potassium and neutral neon have the same number of electrons.
• D. Both neutral potassium and neutral neon have 10 electrons.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that the number of electrons in a neutral atom is equal to its atomic number, which is the number of protons in the nucleus.
2. Look up the atomic number of potassium (K) on the periodic table. Potassium has an atomic number of 19, meaning a neutral potassium atom has 19 electrons.
3. Look up the atomic number of neon (Ne) on the periodic table. Neon has an atomic number of 10, meaning a neutral neon atom has 10 electrons.
4. Compare the number of electrons in neutral potassium and neutral neon: 19 electrons for potassium versus 10 electrons for neon.
5. Conclude that neutral potassium has more electrons than neutral neon because 19 is greater than 10.