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What is the charge of the nucleus of an oxygen atom?

  1. +6

  2. +8

  3. -8

  4. 0

The correct answer is: +8

The charge of the nucleus of an oxygen atom is +8. This is because the nucleus contains protons, which are positively charged particles. An oxygen atom has an atomic number of 8, indicating it has 8 protons in its nucleus. Since protons each contribute a charge of +1, the total charge of the nucleus is the sum of the charges of all the protons. In addition to protons, the nucleus also contains neutrons, which have no charge. However, neutrons do not affect the overall positive charge of the nucleus. Therefore, regardless of how many neutrons are present in the nucleus of an oxygen atom, the total positive charge remains +8 due to the 8 protons.