Question

How many electrons does magnesium have when it is electrically neutral?
How many protons does iron have when it is electrically neutral?

Answer 1

Magnesium has an atomic number of 12, therefore it has 12 protons, and therefore 12 electrons.

IRON is element number 26.

whatever the number of an element is on the Periodic Table,
thats the number of PROTONS & ELECTRONS in that particular element.

the proton and electron numbers are always the same in a stable un-ionized atom.
protons are positive, electrons are negative, so they cancel each other out and the atom is Neutral.

IRON has 26 protons, 30 neutrons, and 26 electrons.