which element remains

Question

If two protons and two neutrons are removed from the
nucleus of an oxygen-16 atom, a nucleus of which element
remains?

Answer 1

An element is determined by the number of protons it has in its nucleus. Oxygen has 8 protons so when you remove two protons you have a element with 6 protons. Look on your periodic table for an element with 6 protons. The 16 in oxygen-16 is the atomic number and denotes the total number of protons and neutrons in the element. So when you remove 2 protons and 2 neutrons you reduce the atomic number by 4. so your new element would have the atomic number of 12.

Answer 2

Hi Richard;

If two protons and two neutrons are removed from the
nucleus of an oxygen-16 atom, a nucleus of which element
remains?

Oxygen is element number 8 on the Periodic Table of the Elements.  This means it has 8 protons in its nucleus.  Oxygen-16 has 8 protons and 8 neutrons.  Neutrons is an issue of weight only.  It has nothing to do with the classification.  After this atom has lost two protons, it is Carbon.  Furthermore...

(16 amu)-[(2 protons)+(2 neutrons)=12

amu is Atomis Mass Units.

It is Carbon-12.