In a model of an atomic nucleus, what do the orange and yellow spheres typically represent?

• A. Orange spheres represent neutrons and yellow spheres represent electrons.
• B. Orange spheres represent electrons and yellow spheres represent protons.
• C. Orange spheres represent protons and yellow spheres represent neutrons.
• D. Orange spheres represent both protons and neutrons, while yellow spheres represent electrons.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that in atomic nucleus models, the spheres represent subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and sometimes electrons.
2. Recall that the nucleus contains protons and neutrons, while electrons are found outside the nucleus in electron clouds or shells.
3. Identify the color coding convention: typically, protons are represented by one color (often orange or red), and neutrons by another (often yellow or gray). Electrons are usually not shown inside the nucleus model.
4. Analyze the given options and recognize that electrons cannot be inside the nucleus, so any option assigning electrons to spheres inside the nucleus is incorrect.
5. Conclude that the orange spheres represent protons and the yellow spheres represent neutrons, as this matches the standard model of the atomic nucleus.