You have an atom of carbon with a mass number of 14. Determine the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons you would expect this atom to possess.
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The mass number of an atom is equal to the number of protons plus the number of neutrons. In this case, we have a carbon atom with a mass number of 14.
Carbon has an atomic number of 6, which means it has 6 protons. Since the atomic number represents the number of protons, this atom would also have 6 protons.
To find the number of neutrons, we subtract the atomic number (number of protons) from the mass number. So, subtracting 6 protons from the mass number of 14, we get 14 - 6 = 8 neutrons.
Since atoms are electrically neutral, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons. Therefore, this carbon atom with 6 protons would also have 6 electrons.