If a potassium atom somehow loses a proton . Would it still be a potassium, how abouta neutron?

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If a potassium atom somehow loses a proton . Would it still be a potassium, how abouta neutron?

2007-04-11 08:40:40 · 2 answers · asked by thanh l 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology

2 answers

If it loses a proton it becomes another element: Argon
more specifically 38[Ar] which is a stable isotope, but rare.

If it loses a neutron it is still Potassium, but an *isotope* of Potassium: 38[K] which is not a key isotope -- probably very short-lived.

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2007-04-11 08:44:17 · answer #1 · answered by tlbs101 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋

If it loses a proton, it would no longer be potassium. It would be Ar.

If it loses a neutron, it would just be an isotope of potassium.

2007-04-11 08:46:50 · answer #2 · answered by dixiechck615 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋