How many total electrons are in a sodium (Na) atom?

A sodium (Na) atom has a total of 11 electrons. This is because sodium has an atomic number of 11, which indicates the number of protons in the nucleus of the atom. In a neutral atom, the number of protons is equal to the number of electrons, maintaining electrical neutrality. Therefore, since sodium has 11 protons, it also has 11 electrons in its outer structure.

Understanding the fundamentals of atomic structure helps clarify this. The atomic number uniquely identifies an element and provides critical information about its electronic configuration. For sodium, the configuration can be represented as 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s¹, showing that there are 2 electrons in the first shell, 8 in the second shell, and 1 in the third shell, leading to a total of 11 electrons.