Oxygen-17 (O-17) is an isotope of oxygen. The number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom determines its atomic number and atomic mass.
For oxygen-17:
- Protons: The atomic number of oxygen is 8, which means all oxygen atoms have 8 protons. This remains the same regardless of the isotope, so oxygen-17 also has 8 protons.
- Neutrons: The atomic mass of oxygen-17 is 17, and since the atomic number is 8, the difference between the atomic mass and atomic number gives the number of neutrons. Therefore, oxygen-17 has 17 - 8 = 9 neutrons.
- Electrons: In a neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons. Therefore, oxygen-17 also has 8 electrons.
To summarize:
- Protons: 8
- Neutrons: 9
- Electrons: 8