Question

any atom that is electrically neutral must contain... more protons than electrons equal numbers of electrons and protons fewer protons than nucleons equal numbers of nucleons and protons

Explanation:

An electrically neutral atom has equal numbers of protons (positive charge) and electrons (negative charge), so their charges cancel out. Let's analyze each option:

• "more protons than electrons": This would make the atom positively charged, not neutral.
• "equal numbers of electrons and protons": Protons have a positive charge, electrons have a negative charge. Equal numbers mean the total charge is zero (neutral).
• "fewer protons than nucleons": Nucleons are protons + neutrons. Protons are always fewer than nucleons (since neutrons exist in most atoms), but this doesn't relate to electrical neutrality.
• "equal numbers of nucleons and protons": Nucleons = protons + neutrons, so this would mean neutrons = 0, which is not true for most atoms and doesn't relate to neutrality.

Answer:

The correct option is the one with "equal numbers of electrons and protons". (Assuming the first option's text was a typo and the intended correct option is "equal numbers of electrons and protons" based on the context of electrical neutrality of atoms.) If we consider the options as given (with possible OCR issues), the option stating "equal numbers of electrons and protons" is the correct choice for an electrically neutral atom.