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Chapter 2: Problem 39

Americium-241 is a radioactive isotope that is used in high-precision gas and smoke detectors. How many neutrons, protons, and electrons are there in an atom of americium-241?

Short Answer

Expert verified
An atom of Americium-241 contains 95 protons, 95 electrons, and 146 neutrons.

Step by step solution

01

Identify the Atomic Number

The atomic number of an element corresponds to the number of protons it has in its nucleus. Americium is the element with atomic number 95, which means it has 95 protons.
02

Validate the Neutrality of the Atom

In a neutral atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons as to balance out the charges. Therefore, a neutral Americium atom also consists of 95 electrons.
03

Find Out the Number of Neutrons

The mass number of Americium-241 signifies it has a total of 241 particles in the nucleus, which includes both protons and neutrons. The number of neutrons can be found by subtracting the atomic number from the mass number, i.e., 241 - 95 = 146. Therefore, an atom of Americium-241 contains 146 neutrons.

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