If a Neutral Atom Has an Atomic Number of 10

Question

If a neutral atom has an atomic number of 10, then we know that it has:
A) 10 neutrons.
B) 10 protons.
C) 10 electrons.
D) 10 protons and 10 electrons.
E) 10 protons, 10 electrons, and 10 neutrons.

Accepted Answer

The atomic number of an element indicates the number of protons in its nucleus. For a neutral atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons to balance the positive and negative charges. Therefore, an atomic number of 10 means the atom has 10 protons and, since it's neutral, also 10 electrons. The number of neutrons is not determined by the atomic number.