How many neutrons are in the atom shown below?

26
Fe
55.845

30
26
55.845
82

1 answer

To determine the number of neutrons in an atom, you can use the formula:

\[ \text{Number of Neutrons} = \text{Atomic Mass} - \text{Atomic Number} \]

In this case, the atomic number of iron (Fe) is 26 (the number of protons), and the atomic mass is approximately 55.845. Plugging these values into the formula:

\[ \text{Number of Neutrons} = 55.845 - 26 \]

Calculating this gives:

\[ \text{Number of Neutrons} \approx 55.845 - 26 = 29.845 \]

Since the number of neutrons must be a whole number, we round it to the nearest whole number:

\[ \text{Number of Neutrons} \approx 30 \]

Therefore, the atom shown has approximately 30 neutrons.