If a species has 16 protons and 16 neutrons, find the species and its charge

Options

A. `S^(1-)`
B. `Si^(2-)`
C. `p^(3-)`
D. `S^(2-)`

Answer

To solve the problem, we need to determine the species and its charge based on the given number of protons and neutrons.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Number of Protons**:
- The species has 16 protons. The number of protons in an atom is known as its atomic number.
- Therefore, the atomic number (Z) = 16.

2. **Determine the Element**:
- We can look up the periodic table to find which element has an atomic number of 16.
- The element with atomic number 16 is Sulfur (S).

3. **Calculate the Mass Number**:
- The mass number (A) is the sum of the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus.
- Given that there are also 16 neutrons, we calculate the mass number:
\[ A = \text{Number of Protons} + \text{Number of Neutrons} = 16 + 16 = 32 \]
- Thus, the mass number of this sulfur atom is 32.

4. **Determine the Charge of the Species**:
- The problem does not specify the charge directly, but we can infer it from the context.
- If the species is sulfur (S) with 16 protons, it is neutral when it has 16 electrons.
- If there is a negative charge, it indicates that electrons have been added to the sulfur atom.
- For example:
- A charge of -1 means one extra electron (17 electrons total).
- A charge of -2 means two extra electrons (18 electrons total).
- Therefore, the possible species could be:
- \( \text{S}^{-1} \) (sulfide ion with a charge of -1)
- \( \text{S}^{-2} \) (sulfide ion with a charge of -2)

5. **Final Answer**:
- The species is Sulfur (S) with a mass number of 32.
- The possible charges are -1 and -2, corresponding to the addition of 1 or 2 electrons.

### Summary:
- The species is Sulfur (S) with a mass number of 32.
- The charge can be -1 or -2 depending on the number of added electrons.