What is the atomic number of Carbon?

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Multiple Choice

What is the atomic number of Carbon?

The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus, and it uniquely identifies the element. Carbon has six protons, so its atomic number is six. In a neutral atom, there are also six electrons, balancing the charge. The other numbers correspond to different elements—one for hydrogen, seven for nitrogen, eight for oxygen—which is why they don’t describe carbon. The atomic number is fixed for a given element, even when the nucleus has different numbers of neutrons in its isotopes.

The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus, and it uniquely identifies the element. Carbon has six protons, so its atomic number is six. In a neutral atom, there are also six electrons, balancing the charge. The other numbers correspond to different elements—one for hydrogen, seven for nitrogen, eight for oxygen—which is why they don’t describe carbon. The atomic number is fixed for a given element, even when the nucleus has different numbers of neutrons in its isotopes.

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