Answer:
A gold atom in its neutral state has 79 electrons
Step-by-step explanation:
The atomic number of gold (Au) in the periodic table is 79. Atomic number is the number of protons present in the nucleus of an atom. The number of protons in an atom is equivalent to the number of electrons in a neutral atom, this is because the number of positively charged particles (protons) must be balanced by the number of negatively charged particles (electrons).