Final answer:
The statement that is NOT true about the structure of an atom is option d), which inaccurately claims the third electron orbit can hold a maximum of 16 electrons. In reality, it can hold up to 18 electrons, following the formula 2n^2 where 'n' is the shell number.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is about the structure of atoms and which statement is NOT true regarding the atomic structure. Specifically, we are looking at the properties of the orbits or shells that electrons occupy around an atom's nucleus.
Option a) is true as neutrons are always located in the nucleus of an atom alongside protons. Option b) is also true; in a neutral atom, the number of electrons and protons are equal to each other. Option c) is correct because the first electron orbit, or shell, can indeed hold a maximum of 2 electrons.
Option d) states that the third electron orbit can hold a maximum of 16 electrons. This is NOT true; according to the rules of electron configurations and the organization of electrons into shells or energy levels, the third electron shell can actually hold up to 18 electrons, not 16. The number of electrons that can fit into an electron shell is determined by the formula 2n2, where 'n' is the number of the shell. For the third shell, n=3, so it can hold up to 2*(3)2 = 18 electrons.