Carbon has 6 electrons. This is determined by its atomic number.
Understanding Atomic Numbers and Electrons
The atomic number of an element is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom of that element. For a neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons.
- Atomic Number: Carbon's atomic number is 6.
- Protons: This means a carbon atom has 6 protons.
- Electrons: A neutral carbon atom also has 6 electrons because the number of electrons equals the number of protons in a neutral atom.
Electron Configuration
While carbon has 6 electrons, these electrons are not all in the same energy level. They are arranged in shells or orbits around the nucleus.
- Electron Shells: As carbon is in the second row (or second period) of the periodic table, it has 2 electron orbits.
- Electron Distribution: The first electron orbit can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, and the second orbit can hold up to 8 electrons, but since carbon only has 6 electrons, the first electron orbit will be full with 2 electrons and the second will contain the remaining 4 electrons.
Summary
To find the number of electrons in a neutral carbon atom:
- Identify the atomic number: The atomic number of carbon is 6.
- For a neutral atom, electrons equal protons: Since the number of protons is equal to the atomic number, and in a neutral atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons, then carbon has 6 electrons.
