What is the number of neutrons in a nucleus?
1 Answer
Apr 30, 2017
Whatever you want, until you specify what nucleus you are talking about.
The quantity can be found by inspection of the mass number of an isotope and the atomic number. Suppose we examine a very specific nucleus, such as
Recall that the superscript is the mass number
#Z = 6#
#A = Z + ?#
#= 6 + ? = 12#
Hence, the number of neutrons in
#? = 12 - 6 = bb(6)# .