Which of the following gives the correct numbers of protons, neutrons, and electrons in a neutral atom of
A)118 protons, 50 neutrons, 118 electrons
B)118 protons, 118 neutrons, 50 electrons
C)50 protons, 68 neutrons, 50 electrons
D)68 protons, 68 neutrons, 50 electrons
E)50 protons, 50 neutrons, 50 electrons

Question

Which of the following gives the correct numbers of protons, neutrons, and electrons in a neutral atom of 
A)118 protons, 50 neutrons, 118 electrons 
B)118 protons, 118 neutrons, 50 electrons 
C)50 protons, 68 neutrons, 50 electrons 
D)68 protons, 68 neutrons, 50 electrons 
E)50 protons, 50 neutrons, 50 electrons

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The atomic number (number of protons) is given by the subscript in the symbol, 11. The mass number (number of protons + neutrons) is the number following the element name, which is "ed269a_5c90_1954_bf7a_6dd7b995ac3f_TB6076_11" in this case. Since it is not a recognizable element, we cannot look up its mass number directly, but it is safe to assume that it is around 118 (the atomic number) as it is a neutral atom. Therefore, the number of neutrons is 118 - 50 = 68. The number of electrons in a neutral atom is equal to the number of protons, so there are 50 electrons. The only choice that matches these numbers is C.

Which of the Following Gives the Correct Numbers of Protons