Question
Number of protons and neutrons in an element of gold. A. 82,115 B. 118,79 C. 115,82 D. 79,118
Answer
4.3
(162 Votes)
Brody
Master · Tutor for 5 years
Answer
D. 79,118
Explanation
## Step 1The atomic number of an element is the number of protons in its nucleus. This is a fundamental property of an element and is used to identify the element on the periodic table.## Step 2Looking at the periodic table, we can see that gold is element 79. This means that gold has 79 protons.## Step 3The mass number of an element is the sum of its protons and neutrons. The mass number is approximately equal to the atomic weight of the element.## Step 4The atomic weight of gold is approximately 197. This is the sum of the protons and neutrons in the nucleus of gold.## Step 5To find the number of neutrons in gold, we subtract the atomic number (number of protons) from the atomic weight.### **Number of neutrons = Atomic weight - Atomic number**## Step 6Substituting the known values into the formula, we get:### **Number of neutrons = 197 - 79 = 118**This means that gold has approximately 118 neutrons.