The diagram shows the electronic configuration of an atom of an element. a) Name the part of the atom that contains the protons and neutrons. b) State the number of protons in this atom.

Here are the answers to your questions:

a) The part of the atom that contains the protons and neutrons is the nucleus.

b) To determine the number of protons, we count the number of electrons in the diagram. In a neutral atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons.

• Innermost shell: 2 electrons
• Second shell: 8 electrons
• Outermost shell: 1 electron Total number of electrons = $2 + 8 + 1 = 11$. Therefore, the number of protons in this atom is 11.