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Ch.2 - Atoms, Molecules & Ions
Chapter 2, Problem 110

Fluorine occurs naturally as a single isotope. How many protons, neutrons, and electrons are present in deuterium fluoride (2HF)? (Deuterium is 2H.)

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Isotopes

Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. For example, deuterium (2H) is an isotope of hydrogen that contains one proton and one neutron, distinguishing it from the more common hydrogen isotope, which has no neutrons.
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Chemical Composition of Compounds

The chemical composition of a compound refers to the types and numbers of atoms that make up the molecule. In the case of deuterium fluoride (2HF), the formula indicates that each molecule consists of one deuterium atom and one fluorine atom, allowing us to determine the total number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in the compound.
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Atomic Structure

Atomic structure describes the arrangement of protons, neutrons, and electrons within an atom. Protons and neutrons reside in the nucleus, while electrons orbit around it. Understanding atomic structure is essential for calculating the total number of these subatomic particles in a molecule, such as deuterium fluoride.
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