An atom with an atomic number of 26 has 56 nucleons. Find out its number of electrons, protons and neutrons.
Number of electrons = 26, Number of protons = 26, Number of neutrons = 30
Explanation
The atomic number of an element is equal to the number of protons in its nucleus. Since the atom as a whole is neutral, the number of protons equals the number of electrons. The protons and neutrons present in the nucleus are called nucleons, and their total is the mass number. Therefore, the number of neutrons is found by subtracting the number of protons from the total number of nucleons.
Solution Steps
Step 1: Number of protons = Atomic number = 26
Step 2: Number of electrons = Number of protons (since the atom is neutral) = 26
Step 3: Number of neutrons = Number of nucleons - Number of protons = 56 - 26 = 30