Which of the following answers give the correct number of subatomic particles for ?

• A. 34 protons, 34 neutrons and 34 electrons
• B. 50 protons, 18 neutrons and 18 electrons
• C. 16 protons, 18 neutrons and 16 electrons
• D. 17 protons, 17 neutrons and 17 electrons

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the element from the symbol 'S'. This is the chemical symbol for sulfur.
2. Determine the atomic number from the subscript. The atomic number is 16, which indicates the number of protons in the nucleus of the sulfur atom.
3. Determine the mass number from the superscript. The mass number is 34, which is the sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus.
4. Calculate the number of neutrons by subtracting the atomic number from the mass number: Number of neutrons = Mass number - Atomic number = 34 - 16.
5. Since the atom is neutral, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons, which is 16.