How many protons neutrons and electrons are in carbon 13?

Answer 1

Every atom of the same element will have the same number of protons. The number of protons is the same as the atomic number, which is 6 protons. In a neutral atom, the number of electrons is the same as the number of protons, so 6 electrons. Carbon-13 tells the mass number (the sum of the protons and neutrons). So we subtract the number of protons from the mass number to get the neutrons, 13 - 6 = 7 neutrons.

Answer 2

In general, there are two defining numbers for all elements and their isotopes: the mass number, and the atomic number. These are usually denoted as follows when an element is written:

AZ X

where A is the mass number, Z is the atomic number, and X is the symbol for the element in question (note that the A and Z would normally be aligned, not offset). The mass number, A, is the sum of the protons and neutrons in the element. The atomic number, Z, is the number of protons only. On the Periodic Table, elements are arranged by atomic number. In this case we see that Carbon is element 6, and so it had 6 protons. The number of neutrons alone can be easily calculated by subtracting the atomic number from the mass number, so that

N=A-Z

where N is the number of neutrons. The number of electrons in a given element, isotope, or ion, can be easily determined as well. In neutral isotopes, the number of negatively-charged electrons must balance the number of positively-charged protons. Since the number of protons is given to us by the atomic number Z, this must also be the number of electrons. In ions, the plus or minus charge denoted tells us the overall charge of the species in question, and thus the lack or excess of electrons. A species with a +2 charge would have two less electrons than expected, while a -1 charge would mean one excess electron.

In the specific question at hand, we can look up Carbon in the periodic table and find that it is element number 6. It thus has 6 protons. The 13 to which the question refers is the mass number, or protons plus neutrons. Since we know N=A-Z, and that A and Z are 13 and 6 respectively, there are 13-6=7 neutrons. The species has no charge, so electrons must balance protons: this isotope has 6 electrons.

Answer 3

Every atom of the same element will have the same number of protons. The number of protons is the same as the atomic number, which is 6 protons. In a neutral atom, the number of electrons is the same as the number of protons, so 6 electrons. Carbon-13 tells the mass number (the sum of the protons and neutrons). So we subtract the number of protons from the mass number to get the neutrons, 13 - 6 = 7 neutrons.

Answer 4

6 protons, 6 electrons, 7 neutrons.

Answer 5

6 protons 6 neutrons 6 electrons