Given below are two statements :

Statement I : Atoms are electrically neutral as they contain equal number of positive and negative charges.

Statement II : Atoms of each element are stable and emit their characteristic spectrum.

In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :

**Statement I:** “Atoms are electrically neutral as they contain equal number of positive and negative charges.”

This statement is correct. An atom consists of a nucleus containing positively charged protons (and neutral neutrons) and a surrounding cloud of negatively charged electrons. In a neutral atom the number of electrons equals the number of protons, so the total positive charge balances the total negative charge, resulting in zero net charge.

**Statement II:** “Atoms of each element are stable and emit their characteristic spectrum.”

This statement is partly wrong. While many atoms are stable, some isotopes are radioactive and decay, showing that not all atoms are inherently stable. Moreover, atoms do not continuously emit their characteristic spectrum; they emit light at specific wavelengths only when their electrons are excited to higher energy levels and then return to lower levels. The characteristic spectrum is a property observed under excitation, not a spontaneous emission from a perfectly stable atom.

Therefore, the correct choice is that Statement I is correct and Statement II is incorrect.