The nucleus of a singly ionsized carbon atom contains

Options

A. 6 protons and 6 neutrons
B. 5 protons and 6 neutrons
C. 6 protons, 6 neutrons and 6 electrons
D. 12 protons, 6 neutrons and 6 electrons

Explanation

To determine what is present in the nucleus of a singly ionized carbon atom, we need to analyze the atomic structure of carbon and the effect of ionization.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding the Carbon Atom**:
- A neutral carbon atom has an atomic number (Z) of 6, which means it has 6 protons in its nucleus.
- The mass number (A) of carbon is 12, which indicates that the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus is 12.

2. **Calculating Neutrons**:
- To find the number of neutrons, we can use the formula:
\[ \text{Number of Neutrons} = A - Z \]
- Substituting the values for carbon:
\[ \text{Number of Neutrons} = 12 - 6 = 6 \]

3. **Understanding Ionization**:
- A singly ionized carbon atom (C⁺) means that one electron has been removed from the neutral carbon atom.
- In a neutral carbon atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons, which is 6. After ionization, the number of electrons becomes 5.

4. **Determining the Composition of the Nucleus**:
- The nucleus of the carbon atom remains unchanged by the removal of an electron. Therefore, the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus does not change.
- Thus, in the nucleus of a singly ionized carbon atom, there are still 6 protons and 6 neutrons.

5. **Final Answer**:
- The nucleus of a singly ionized carbon atom contains 6 protons and 6 neutrons.

### Summary:
- **Nucleus Composition**: 6 protons, 6 neutrons
- **Electrons after Ionization**: 5 electrons