How many protons, neutrons, and electrons are in a 24 12 Mg atom ion?

A magnesium atom with the notation 24₁₂Mg has 12 protons, 12 neutrons, and 12 electrons when it is neutral. However, if it is an ion, the number of electrons can change depending on its charge.

To break it down:

• Protons: The number of protons in an atom is defined by its atomic number. For magnesium (Mg), the atomic number is 12, which means it has 12 protons.
• Neutrons: The number of neutrons can be found by subtracting the atomic number from the mass number. In this case, the mass number is 24. Therefore, the number of neutrons = 24 – 12 = 12 neutrons.
• Electrons: If the magnesium atom is neutral, it will have the same number of electrons as protons, which is 12. However, if it is ionized, this number can vary. For example, if it has a +2 charge (common for magnesium), it will have 10 electrons (12 – 2 = 10).

In summary, a neutral 24₁₂Mg atom has 12 protons, 12 neutrons, and 12 electrons. If it is a +2 ion, it would have 12 protons, 12 neutrons, and 10 electrons.