What is the relative mass of a proton?

A proton has a relative mass of approximately 1 when compared to the mass of other subatomic particles. This relative mass is based on the atomic mass unit (amu), where a proton is assigned a value of 1 amu. In terms of the atomic structure, protons reside in the nucleus of an atom alongside neutrons, and their mass significantly contributes to the overall mass of an atom.

The relative mass of a proton being 1 allows for easy calculations when determining the atomic mass of elements on the periodic table, where typically each proton and neutron contributes about 1 to the atomic mass unit. This scale helps simplify understanding the structure of atoms and comparing the masses of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

In contrast, the notion of a proton having a very small mass, a mass of 2, or no mass at all, does not accurately reflect its significance in atomic structure and measurements. Electrons, for example, have a much smaller relative mass (approximately 1/1836 that of a proton) and are often considered negligible when determining atomic masses. Therefore, the assertion that a proton has a relative mass of 1 is fundamental to understanding the composition and characteristics of atoms.