Question

Identify the element which has \[17\] electrons and \[17\] protons?

Answer 1

Hint: To identify the element, we will simply look for the atomic number for the element. We know that the atomic number is the number of protons present in an atom.

Complete answer:
Here, number of protons \[ = 17\]
The number of protons present in the atom is equal to the atomic number \[(Z)\]. Hence the atomic number of the element will be \[17\]. The element with atomic number \[17\] is Chlorine.

Additional information:
Here, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons. This means that the chlorine atom is in ground state or electrically neutral. The symbol of chlorine is \[Cl\]. It is a yellow-green gas at room temperature. The electronic configuration of chlorine is \[[Ne]3{s^2}3{p^5}\].
Chlorine kills bacteria – it is a disinfectant. It is used to treat drinking water and swimming pool water. It is also used to make hundreds of consumer products from paper to paints, and from textiles to insecticides. About \[20\% \] of chlorine produced is used to make \[PVC\]. This is a very versatile plastic used in window frames, car interiors, electrical wiring insulation, water pipes, blood bags and vinyl flooring. Chlorine is used as an oxidising agent and in substitution reactions.

Note:
Remember that chlorine is a toxic gas that attacks the respiratory system, eyes, and skin. Because it is denser than air, it tends to accumulate at the bottom of poorly ventilated spaces. Chlorine gas is a strong oxidizer, which may react with flammable materials so be very careful while dealing with it.