MCQ Detailed View

In Chemistry, understanding the structure of an atom is fundamental to learning how matter behaves. Every atom is made up of three distinct types of subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. These particles combine to give atoms their unique properties and govern how they react with other atoms to form compounds.

1. 
   

   Protons:

   
   
   
   
   • 
     

     Positively charged particles found inside the nucleus of an atom.

     
     
   
   
   • 
     

     The number of protons defines the atomic number, determining which element the atom represents. For example, all hydrogen atoms have 1 proton, while oxygen atoms have 8 protons.

     
     
   
   
   
   


2. 
   

   Neutrons:

   
   
   
   
   • 
     

     Neutral particles that have no electrical charge, also located in the nucleus.

     
     
   
   
   • 
     

     Neutrons add mass and stability to the atom, reducing repulsion between positively charged protons. Atoms of the same element can have different neutron counts, forming isotopes.

     
     
   
   
   
   


3. 
   

   Electrons:

   
   
   
   
   • 
     

     Negatively charged particles that orbit the nucleus in different energy levels or shells.

     
     
   
   
   • 
     

     Electrons are responsible for chemical bonding, ion formation, and electricity in atoms. They determine how atoms interact to form molecules and compounds.

     
     
   
   
   
   

Atoms are electrically neutral because they have an equal number of protons and electrons. The combination of these three fundamental subatomic particles creates the building block of all matter.

Other given options are incorrect:

• 
  

  Two: Atoms cannot exist stably with only protons and electrons, except for hydrogen-1 which has no neutrons, but the general structure always involves three particles.

  
  


• 
  

  Four: No standard atom contains a fourth type of subatomic particle as a primary constituent.

  
  

Hence, the correct answer is Three, as every atom is composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons, the essential particles that define atomic structure.