Question

how many neutrons are in a lithium atom

Answer 1

Lithium has an atomic number of 3, which means it has 3 protons. The most common isotope of lithium, lithium-7, has a mass number of 7. To find the number of neutrons, you can subtract the number of protons from the mass number:

Number of neutrons = Mass number - Number of protons
Number of neutrons = 7 - 3 = 4

So, a lithium-7 atom has 4 neutrons. The other stable isotope, lithium-6, has 3 neutrons (6 - 3 = 3).