Answer :
Final answer:
A nitrogen atom has 7 protons, regardless of its charge. A 3- charge indicates it has gained electrons, but the number of protons does not change. Thus, the correct answer is 7 protons.
Explanation:
Nitrogen Atom and Its Charge
A nitrogen atom has a standard atomic number of 7, which means it has 7 protons in its nucleus. The charge of an atom is determined by the number of protons compared to the number of electrons. A nitrogen atom with a 3- charge means it has gained 3 extra electrons, resulting in a higher electron count (10 electrons total), but this does not affect the number of protons.
Therefore, regardless of the charge, the number of protons in a nitrogen atom always remains at 7 protons.
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