Question
hich of these options would not cause a nucleus of an atom to be unstable? It has too many protons. It has too many electrons. It is too large. It has too many neutrons.
Answer
4.5
(257 Votes)
Warren
Master · Tutor for 5 years
Answer
It has too many electrons.
Explanation
The stability of a nucleus is determined by the balance between protons and neutrons, the two nucleons that the nucleus houses. If an atom has too many protons, or too many neutrons, or if its total size (defined by the total number of nucleons it contains) is too big, then these are conditions that make the nucleus unstable, resulting in the release of energy in a process called radioactive decay. As for electrons, they exist in the cloud that surrounds the nucleus and do not affect the stability of the nucleus; rather, they are involved in chemical reactions. Among protons, neutrons occupy the nucleus, whereas electrons surround the nucleus. A change in the number of electrons changes the charge of the atom, resulting in an ion, not an instability in the atomic nucleus. Therefore, an atom having "too many electrons" does not make the nucleus of an atom unstable.