The atomic number of sodium is 11 and its mass number is 23. It hasa)1...
The atomic number of an element represents the number of protons in its nucleus, while the mass number represents the total number of protons and neutrons.
In the case of sodium:
- Atomic number = 11, which means it has 11 protons.
- Mass number = 23, which means it has a total of 23 protons and neutrons.
To determine the number of neutrons and electrons in sodium, we can use the following formulas:
- Number of neutrons = Mass number - Atomic number
- Number of electrons = Atomic number
Using the formulas:- Number of neutrons = 23 - 11 = 12
- Number of electrons = 11
Therefore, the correct answer is:
C:
11 electrons and 12 neutrons