In a neutral atom of fluorine-19 (19/9 F), what is the count of protons, neutrons, and electrons?

In a neutral atom of fluorine-19, the atomic notation is represented as ( \frac{19}{9}F ). The number at the bottom (9) indicates the atomic number, which represents the number of protons in the atom. Therefore, a fluorine atom has 9 protons.

The mass number, which is the number at the top (19), represents the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. To find the number of neutrons, you can subtract the number of protons from the mass number.

In this case: [ \text{Neutrons} = \text{Mass number} - \text{Number of protons} = 19 - 9 = 10 ]

Since the question specifies a "neutral atom," the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons. Therefore, a neutral fluorine atom has 9 electrons as well.

Thus, the correct breakdown is:

• 9 protons
• 10 neutrons
• 9 electrons

This aligns with option B, which correctly identifies the components of a neutral fluorine-19 atom. Understanding these basic relationships between protons, neutrons, and electrons in atomic structures is