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Which best describes the relationship between subatomic particles in any neutral atom? Use the picture of the neutral atom of Lithium below to help you with your answer.

Picture: 3 protons, 4 neutrons, 3 electrons

a. The number of protons equals the number of electrons.

b.The number of protons equals the number of neutrons.

c. The number of electrons is greater than the number of protons.

d. The number of neutrons equals the number of electrons.

choose the correct answer

1 answer

The correct answer is:

a. The number of protons equals the number of electrons.

In a neutral atom, the number of protons (which have a positive charge) is equal to the number of electrons (which have a negative charge), resulting in no overall charge. In the case of the Lithium atom you provided, there are 3 protons and 3 electrons, which confirms this relationship.