Atomic Numbers and Atomic Weights

Atomic Numbers and Atomic Weights

The oxygen atom has 8 protons, 8 neutrons, and 8 electrons. The atomic number of oxygen is the number of protons it has, so it is 8. Logically, the weight of the atom would be the sum of the weights of the components.

It is known that protons and neutrons have almost the same weight. An electron, on the other hand, has 1/1837 the weight of a proton. Therefore, electrons do not contribute much to the weight of the atom.

Let us assume that each proton weighs one unit. The neutron would also have the same weight. If so, the weight of the oxygen atom will be the sum of the weights of 8 neutrons and 8 protons. That makes the oxygen atom 16 units heavy. The atomic weight of oxygen is therefore 16.

Hydrogen has 1 electron, 1 proton, and 0 neutrons. Can you now tell the atomic number and atomic weight of hydrogen?