The element oxygen has an atomic number of 8, which means it contains:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The atomic number of an element tells us the number of protons in its nucleus. Since oxygen has an atomic number of 8, it means that there are eight protons in its nucleus. Option A is incorrect because the number of neutrons in an atom may vary, but in this case, we are only concerned about the number of protons. Option C is incorrect because the number of neutrons in the nucleus of an oxygen atom is not equal to 8, but rather 8 minus the number of protons, which is 8 - 8 = 0. Option D is incorrect because it adds the number of electrons, which is not relevant to the atomic number (which is only concerned with the number of protons).

The Element Oxygen Has an Atomic Number of 8, Which