What is the atomic number of an atom that has 12 protons and 12 neutrons?

Rationale

The atomic number of an atom that has 12 protons and 12 neutrons is 12.

The atomic number of an atom is determined by the number of protons in its nucleus. Regardless of the number of neutrons or electrons, an atom with 12 protons will have an atomic number of 12.

A (1) YOUR ANSWER

The atomic number of an atom is not 1 unless it only has 1 proton. The atom in question has 12 protons and therefore its atomic number is 12.

B (144) YOUR ANSWER

The atomic number of an atom is not determined by squaring the number of protons or neutrons. Therefore, 144 cannot be the atomic number of an atom with 12 protons and 12 neutrons.

C (12) CORRECT

The atomic number of an atom is determined by the number of protons in its nucleus. In this case, the atom has 12 protons, so its atomic number is indeed 12. This is the correct answer.

D (24) YOUR ANSWER

The atomic number of an atom is not determined by the sum of protons and neutrons. While this atom has 12 protons and 12 neutrons, making a total of 24 particles in the nucleus, the atomic number is solely determined by the number of protons, which is 12 in this case.

Conclusion

The atomic number of an atom is determined by the number of protons in its nucleus. Regardless of the number of neutrons, an atom with 12 protons will have an atomic number of 12. All other given choices incorrectly interpret the atomic number as either a sum of protons and neutrons, a square of the number of protons or neutrons, or a singular proton.

What is the atomic number of an atom that has 12 protons and 12 neutrons?

The atomic number of an atom that has 12 protons and 12 neutrons is 12.

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