An atom has 6 protons and a mass number of 12. How many neutrons are there?

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Multiple Choice

An atom has 6 protons and a mass number of 12. How many neutrons are there?

Explanation:
Mass number counts the total nucleons in the nucleus, which are protons plus neutrons. You have 6 protons and a mass number of 12, so the neutrons must be 12 minus 6, which equals 6. This matches the familiar carbon-12 example: 6 protons and 6 neutrons. Electrons don’t affect the mass number, so they aren’t part of this calculation. Therefore there are 6 neutrons.

Mass number counts the total nucleons in the nucleus, which are protons plus neutrons. You have 6 protons and a mass number of 12, so the neutrons must be 12 minus 6, which equals 6. This matches the familiar carbon-12 example: 6 protons and 6 neutrons. Electrons don’t affect the mass number, so they aren’t part of this calculation. Therefore there are 6 neutrons.

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