An element has an atomic number of 17. Based on the arrangement of charged particles in its atom, which statement best explains the number of electrons in its neutral state?
It has 17 electrons to balance the 17 protons present.
The atomic number (Z) of an element is defined as the number of protons present in the nucleus of one atom of that element. For the given element, Z = 17, which corresponds to chlorine (Cl).
An atom in its neutral state carries no net electric charge. Since protons carry a +1 charge and electrons carry a -1 charge, the number of electrons in a neutral atom must be exactly equal to the number of protons so that the positive and negative charges cancel out.
Therefore, a neutral atom of the element with atomic number 17 must contain 17 electrons to balance the 17 protons in its nucleus. These 17 electrons are arranged in the shells as 2, 8, 7.
Neutrons carry no charge, so matching electrons to neutrons is not a rule of neutrality. Saying the atom has 8 electrons only in the innermost shell is wrong, since the innermost K-shell holds at most 2 electrons. Extra electrons compared to protons would make the atom a negative ion, not a neutral atom.
Hence, the correct explanation is that the atom has 17 electrons to balance the 17 protons present.
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