There are 197 particles in the nucleus of gold. 79 electrons move around the nucleus. How many protons are there
There are 197 particles in the nucleus of gold. 79 electrons move around the nucleus. How many protons are there in the nucleus of this atom and how many neutrons?
Given:
n = 197 particles – the total number of particles in the nucleus of a gold atom;
n1 = 79 – the number of electrons revolving around the nucleus of the gold atom.
It is required to determine n2 and n3 – the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of a gold atom.
Since the nucleus of a gold atom itself does not have an electric charge, it means that the number of protons will be equal to the number of electrons:
n2 = n1 = 79.
Then, the number of neutrons will be equal to:
n3 = n – n1 – n2 = 197 – 79 – 79 = 118 – 79 = 39.
Answer: there are 79 protons and 39 neutrons in the nucleus of a gold atom.