What percentage of the mass of an atom is concentrated in the nucleus?...
Percentage of mass in the nucleus of an atom
The correct answer is option B, which is 99.9%. This means that almost all of the mass of an atom is concentrated in the nucleus.
The nucleus of an atom is where most of its mass is concentrated because it contains the protons and neutrons, which are much heavier than the electrons that orbit the nucleus. Protons and neutrons have approximately the same mass, around 1 atomic mass unit each, while electrons have a much smaller mass, about 0.0005 atomic mass units.
If we consider a typical atom like carbon, which has 6 protons and 6 neutrons in its nucleus, the total mass of the nucleus would be about 12 atomic mass units (6 protons x 1 amu + 6 neutrons x 1 amu). The total mass of the atom (including electrons) is about 12.01 atomic mass units. Therefore, the percentage of mass in the nucleus would be (12 / 12.01) x 100 = 99.9%.
In conclusion, the vast majority of an atom's mass is concentrated in its nucleus due to the presence of protons and neutrons, which are much heavier than electrons.