Question

How many protons, neutrons, and electrons does an atom of Carbon-13 contain?6 protons, 6 electrons, and 7 neutrons6 protons, 7 electrons, and 7 neutrons6 protons, 6 electrons, and 13 neutrons13 protons, 6 electrons, and 6 neutrons

Answer 1

The chemical elements' atoms have 3 basic subunits: protons, electrons and neutrons. The two first (protons and neutrons) are located in the core of the atom and are responsible of the atomic mass.

Protons are charged positively and they are the best way to identify of which element we are talking about. If we see the atomic number, in this case 6, these are the number of protons present in the atom.

If the molecule is neutral in charge, the number of electrons is the same as the protons'. In this case, we have an isotope neutrally charged, so the electrons are also 6.

Finally, isotope 13 means that the atomic mass is equal to 13 u.m.a., and it is equal to the addition of protons and ato neutrons , as we had said before. Then, if we subtract 13-6= 7 neutrons.

Then, the answer is the first. 6 protons, 6 electrons and 7 neutrons.