The mass of a proton is over how many times greater than the mass of an electron?

The mass of a proton is approximately 1,836 times greater than the mass of an electron, which is why this option is the correct answer. This significant difference in mass is critical in understanding the behavior of atoms, as protons reside in the nucleus and contribute to the overall mass of an atom, while electrons are much lighter and occupy the space around the nucleus in various energy levels.

The comparison emphasizes the structural stability of atoms, given that the mass of protons defines the mass of an atomic nucleus, while electrons, although crucial for chemical bonding and reactions, have a negligible effect on the atomic mass. The other options do not accurately reflect the scientific consensus on the mass ratio between protons and electrons: a factor of 1,000 or 100 underestimates the mass difference, and a factor of 10 is far too low to represent the actual proportion.