Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 80%
Practice
The numbers of protons, neutrons, and electrons in K+ are: A) 20 p, 19 n, 19 e
Correct answer
C
Rationale
The correct answer is C: 19 p, 20 n, 19 e. K+ has an atomic number of 19, indicating 19 protons. Since it is a potassium ion with a +1 charge, it lost one electron, giving it 19 electrons instead of the usual 20. The number of neutrons is found by subtracting the atomic number from the mass number (39 for potassium) to get 20 neutrons. Option A is incorrect due to the incorrect number of electrons. Option B has the incorrect number of protons. Option D has the incorrect number of electrons.