Question

What is the isotopic distribution of the chromium atom?

Answer 1

Why? Because God wanted it that way.

Explanation:

Chromium occurs naturally as one of 4 stable isotopes:

`""^(50)Cr, 4.3%`; `""^(52)Cr, 83.8%`; `""^(53)Cr, 9.5%`; `""^(54)Cr, 2.4%`. This is the natural isotopic distribution of the transition metal. The weighted average of the isotopes, is the atomic mass we would use for chromium when we calculate an atomic mass for the metal, i.e. `Cr, 51.997*g*mol^-1`, and this mass is necessarily close to the MOST common isotope, i.e. `""^52Cr`.

How many protons, and how many neutrons occur in the nuclei of each isotope of chromium? The first question should be trivial; the second question involves a bit of calculation.