For an Atom That is NOT an Ion, Which of the Following

Question

For an atom that is NOT an ion, which of the following must be TRUE?
A)The number of electrons equals the number of protons.
B)The number of electrons equals the number of neutrons.
C)The number of protons equals the number of neutrons.

Accepted Answer

An atom that is not an ion is electrically neutral, meaning it has the same number of protons (positive charge) as electrons (negative charge). Therefore, the number of electrons must equal the number of protons. Option B is incorrect because neutrons have no charge, so there is no reason for the number of electrons to equal the number of neutrons. Option C is incorrect because the number of protons determines the element, while the number of neutrons can vary within an element to form isotopes.