The statement that best explains why hydrogen's atomic number is equal to its mass is: Hydrogen does not have any neutrons.
Hydrogen has an atomic number of 1, which means it has 1 proton and, in its most common isotope (protium), it has no neutrons. The atomic mass of protium is approximately 1 atomic mass unit (amu), which corresponds to its single proton. Thus, hydrogen's atomic number (1) is equal to its mass (approximately 1) because it has only one proton and no neutrons.