Understanding the Formula
* Na₂SO₄ represents Sodium Sulfate.
* Na stands for Sodium.
* S stands for Sulfur.
* O stands for Oxygen.
* The subscripts (2 and 4) indicate the number of atoms of each element present in one molecule of the compound.
Finding the Number of Protons
1. Atomic Number: The number of protons in an atom is defined by its atomic number. You can find this on the periodic table.
* Sodium (Na): Atomic number = 11 (11 protons)
* Sulfur (S): Atomic number = 16 (16 protons)
* Oxygen (O): Atomic number = 8 (8 protons)
2. Total Protons:
* Sodium (Na): 2 Na atoms * 11 protons/Na atom = 22 protons
* Sulfur (S): 1 S atom * 16 protons/S atom = 16 protons
* Oxygen (O): 4 O atoms * 8 protons/O atom = 32 protons
3. Overall: 22 protons + 16 protons + 32 protons = 70 protons
Therefore, there are a total of 70 protons in one molecule of Na₂SO₄.
