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9 grade science

Mercury has an atomic number of 80. How many electrons are there in an isotope of mercury 204?

Profile image of Aniket Singh
1 Year agoGrade
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1 Answer

Profile image of Askiitians Tutor Team
1 Year ago

To determine the number of electrons in an isotope of mercury with a mass number of 204, follow these steps:

Identify the Atomic Number:

Mercury (Hg) has an atomic number of 80. The atomic number represents the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom. In a neutral atom, this is also equal to the number of electrons.
Understand Isotopes:

Isotopes of an element have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. The mass number (which is 204 in this case) is the sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus.
Determine the Number of Electrons:

Since the isotope of mercury (Hg-204) is neutral, the number of electrons equals the number of protons, which is given by the atomic number.
Therefore, the number of electrons in this isotope of mercury is 80.