An isotope has 6 protons, 6 neutrons, and 6 electrons. What is its mass number and overall charge?

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Prepare for the Dual Enrollment Physical Science Midterm. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Ace your exam!

Multiple Choice

An isotope has 6 protons, 6 neutrons, and 6 electrons. What is its mass number and overall charge?

Explanation:
Mass number is the total number of nucleons in the nucleus (protons plus neutrons), while the overall charge comes from balancing protons and electrons. Here, there are 6 protons and 6 neutrons, so the mass number is 12. The atom has 6 electrons, and since the number of protons equals the number of electrons, the charges cancel and the net charge is zero. That means the isotope is neutral with a mass number of 12. The other options conflict with these facts: the charge wouldn’t be +2 with equal numbers of protons and electrons, the mass number wouldn’t be 6, and -0 isn’t a standard way to denote charge—the actual charge is zero.

Mass number is the total number of nucleons in the nucleus (protons plus neutrons), while the overall charge comes from balancing protons and electrons. Here, there are 6 protons and 6 neutrons, so the mass number is 12. The atom has 6 electrons, and since the number of protons equals the number of electrons, the charges cancel and the net charge is zero. That means the isotope is neutral with a mass number of 12. The other options conflict with these facts: the charge wouldn’t be +2 with equal numbers of protons and electrons, the mass number wouldn’t be 6, and -0 isn’t a standard way to denote charge—the actual charge is zero.

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