The atomic number of carbon is 6. How many protons are in a neutral carbon atom?

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Multiple Choice

The atomic number of carbon is 6. How many protons are in a neutral carbon atom?

Atomic number tells you how many protons are in the nucleus, and in a neutral atom that number is equal to the number of electrons, balancing the charge. Since carbon has an atomic number of 6, it has 6 protons. In a neutral carbon atom there are also 6 electrons. The other numbers would correspond to different elements (for example, 12 protons = magnesium, 8 = oxygen, 4 = beryllium), so they don’t describe carbon.

Atomic number tells you how many protons are in the nucleus, and in a neutral atom that number is equal to the number of electrons, balancing the charge. Since carbon has an atomic number of 6, it has 6 protons. In a neutral carbon atom there are also 6 electrons. The other numbers would correspond to different elements (for example, 12 protons = magnesium, 8 = oxygen, 4 = beryllium), so they don’t describe carbon.

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