A teacher has students use different materials to model the structure of an atom. Baseball's represent protons marbles represent electrons, and tennis balls represent neutrons. Using the information in the image above, what materials will the students need to build a typical sodium atom n with an atomic mass of 23? A. 5 baseballs, 5 marbles, 1 tennis ball B. 11 baseballs, 11 marbles, 12 tennis balls C. 11 baseballs, 12 marbles.11 tennis balls D. 12 baseballs,11 marbles, 11 tennis balls

## Step 1<br />The atomic number of an element represents the number of protons in its nucleus. For sodium, the atomic number is 11, which means it has 11 protons. In the model, protons are represented by baseballs. Therefore, the students will need 11 baseballs to represent the protons in a sodium atom.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />The atomic mass of an element is the sum of the number of protons and neutrons in its nucleus. For sodium with an atomic mass of 23, the number of neutrons is \(23 - 11 = 12\). In the model, neutrons are represented by tennis balls. Therefore, the students will need 12 tennis balls to represent the neutrons in a sodium atom.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />The number of electrons in a neutral atom is equal to the number of protons. Therefore, the sodium atom will have 11 electrons. In the model, electrons are represented by marbles. Therefore, the students will need 11 marbles to represent the electrons in a sodium atom.<br /><br />## Step 4<br />Combining the information from the above steps, the students will need 11 baseballs, 11 marbles, and 12 tennis balls to build a typical sodium atom with an atomic mass of 23. This corresponds to option B.