Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)
* Carbon (C):
* Protons: 6 (Atomic number of carbon is 6)
* Electrons: 6 (Neutral atom, so protons and electrons are equal)
* Neutrons: 6 (Most common isotope of carbon has 6 neutrons)
* Oxygen (O):
* Protons: 8 (Atomic number of oxygen is 8)
* Electrons: 8 (Neutral atom)
* Neutrons: 8 (Most common isotope of oxygen has 8 neutrons)
Total for CO₂:
* Protons: 6 (C) + 8 (O) x 2 = 22
* Electrons: 6 (C) + 8 (O) x 2 = 22
* Neutrons: 6 (C) + 8 (O) x 2 = 22
Calcium Nitrate (Ca(NO₃)₂)
* Calcium (Ca):
* Protons: 20 (Atomic number of calcium is 20)
* Electrons: 20 (Neutral atom)
* Neutrons: 20 (Most common isotope of calcium has 20 neutrons)
* Nitrogen (N):
* Protons: 7 (Atomic number of nitrogen is 7)
* Electrons: 7 (Neutral atom)
* Neutrons: 7 (Most common isotope of nitrogen has 7 neutrons)
* Oxygen (O):
* Protons: 8 (Atomic number of oxygen is 8)
* Electrons: 8 (Neutral atom)
* Neutrons: 8 (Most common isotope of oxygen has 8 neutrons)
Total for Ca(NO₃)₂:
* Protons: 20 (Ca) + 7 (N) x 2 + 8 (O) x 6 = 70
* Electrons: 20 (Ca) + 7 (N) x 2 + 8 (O) x 6 = 70
* Neutrons: 20 (Ca) + 7 (N) x 2 + 8 (O) x 6 = 70
Important Notes
* Isotopes: Atoms of the same element can have different numbers of neutrons. The numbers given above are for the most common isotopes of each element.
* Ions: If the molecule were an ion (carrying a charge), the number of electrons would change.
* Molecules vs. Ions: While CO₂ is a molecule, calcium nitrate exists as ions (Ca²⁺ and NO₃⁻) in solution.
