Question
how many protons, electrons and neutrons are present in an atom of carbon, C, with the mass of 12?
6 protons 12 electrons 6 neutrons
12 protons 6 electrons 12 neutrons
6 protons 6 electrons 6 neutrons
12 protons 12 electrons 12 neutrons
6 protons 12 electrons 6 neutrons
12 protons 6 electrons 12 neutrons
6 protons 6 electrons 6 neutrons
12 protons 12 electrons 12 neutrons
Answers
GPT-4o mini
An atom of carbon (C) with a mass number of 12 has the following subatomic particles:
- **Protons**: The atomic number of carbon is 6, which means it has **6 protons**.
- **Electrons**: In a neutral atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons, so it has **6 electrons**.
- **Neutrons**: The mass number (12) is the sum of protons and neutrons. To find the number of neutrons, you subtract the number of protons from the mass number:
\[
\text{Neutrons} = \text{Mass number} - \text{Protons} = 12 - 6 = 6 \text{ neutrons}
\]
Thus, the correct answer is:
**6 protons, 6 electrons, and 6 neutrons.**
- **Protons**: The atomic number of carbon is 6, which means it has **6 protons**.
- **Electrons**: In a neutral atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons, so it has **6 electrons**.
- **Neutrons**: The mass number (12) is the sum of protons and neutrons. To find the number of neutrons, you subtract the number of protons from the mass number:
\[
\text{Neutrons} = \text{Mass number} - \text{Protons} = 12 - 6 = 6 \text{ neutrons}
\]
Thus, the correct answer is:
**6 protons, 6 electrons, and 6 neutrons.**