For a web application (typically using HTTP/HTTPS), an Application Load Balancer is the recommended choice as it operates at Layer 7, providing features like content-based routing, SSL termination, and improved security. To expose the application publicly, you would need to use a public DNS zone. An A record in a public DNS zone maps a domain name to the public IP address of the Application Load Balancer. Using a CNAME record would also work but is generally recommended for aliasing one domain name to another, not directly to an IP address.

Option A & B: Network Load Balancers operate at Layer 4 (TCP/UDP) and lack the application-level features of an Application Load Balancer. Private DNS zones are for internal name resolution within your VPC, not for public access.

Option C: While an Application Load Balancer is the correct type, using a private DNS zone wouldn't make the web application publicly accessible.

Reference to Google Cloud Certified - Associate Cloud Engineer Documents:

The best practices for load balancing web applications on Google Cloud, including the use of Application Load Balancers for Layer 7 traffic and the configuration of public DNS records (A or CNAME) for public access, are detailed in the Google Cloud Load Balancing and Cloud DNS documentation, both important for the Associate Cloud Engineer certification.