Carbon has an atomic number of 6. What can you conclude about carbon from this fact?

• A. Each carbon atom contains 6 electrons in its nucleus.
• B. Each carbon atom contains 6 neutrons in its nucleus.
• C. Each carbon atom contains 6 protons in its nucleus.
• D. Carbon has a mass number of 6.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the atomic number of an element is defined as the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom of that element.
2. Recognize that the atomic number uniquely identifies an element; for carbon, the atomic number is 6, meaning every carbon atom has 6 protons in its nucleus.
3. Note that the number of electrons in a neutral atom equals the number of protons, so a neutral carbon atom also has 6 electrons, but these electrons are not in the nucleus; they orbit the nucleus.
4. Understand that neutrons are neutral particles in the nucleus, but their number is not given by the atomic number; instead, the number of neutrons can vary, leading to different isotopes of carbon.
5. Realize that the mass number is the sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus, and since the problem only gives the atomic number (6), you cannot conclude the mass number is 6 without additional information.