Final answer:
The false statements for a neutral atom of a given element, such as carbon, are (a) the number of electrons can be less than the number of protons and (f) the number of electrons can be greater than the number of protons. Neutral atoms have equal numbers of protons and electrons to maintain charge neutrality.
Step-by-step explanation:
To identify which statements are false for neutral atoms of a given element, such as carbon, we need to understand the basic structure of an atom and the characteristics of a neutral atom. A neutral atom has an equal number of protons and electrons, which maintains its charge neutrality. For the element carbon, which has an atomic number of 6, a neutral carbon atom would have 6 protons, 6 electrons, and a variable number of neutrons depending on the isotope, but this does not affect the neutrality of the atom.
- (a) the number of electrons can be less than the number of protons: FALSE - In a neutral atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons.
- (b) the number of neutrons can be greater than the number of protons: TRUE, as isotopes can have more neutrons.
- (c) the number of neutrons can be less than the number of protons: TRUE for some isotopes, such as hydrogen-1, which has no neutrons.
- (d) the number of electrons can be greater than the number of neutrons: TRUE, as the number of neutrons can vary in isotopes and is not tied to the number of electrons.
- (e) the number of electrons can be less than the number of neutrons: TRUE, as some isotopes may have more neutrons than electrons and protons.
- (f) the number of electrons can be greater than the number of protons: FALSE - Again, a neutral atom must have an equal number of protons and electrons.
Therefore, the false statements for a neutral carbon atom are (a) and (f).