Question

two atoms always represent the same element if they have ...

• the same number of particles in the nucleus.
• the same number of shells.
• the same number of protons.
• the same number of electrons.
• the same mass number.

part g
an atom has 6 electrons, 6 protons, and 6 neutrons. you can tell that this atom belongs to the element __ because __

• c; it has 6 protons.
• n; it has 6 electrons.
• c; it has 6 electrons.
• n; it has 6 protons.
• o; its mass number is 12.

Explanation:

The identity of an element is determined by the number of protons in its nucleus. This is known as the atomic number. Isotopes of an element can have different numbers of neutrons and thus different mass - numbers, and the number of electrons can change in ions. The number of electron - shells is related to the element's position in the periodic table but does not define the element itself. For the second part, carbon (C) has an atomic number of 6, which means it has 6 protons.

Answer:

First question: the same number of protons.
Second question: C; it has 6 protons.