Final answer:
The neutron-to-proton ratio of Zirconium-108 is calculated by dividing the number of neutrons (68) by the number of protons (40), giving a ratio of 1.7, which does not conform to the standard trends for heavy nuclei stability.
Step-by-step explanation:
The neutron-to-proton ratio of Zirconium-108 is calculated by dividing the number of neutrons by the number of protons in the nucleus. Zirconium (Zr) has an atomic number (Z) of 40, which means it has 40 protons. To find the number of neutrons (N), we subtract the atomic number from the mass number of Zirconium-108: N = 108 - 40 = 68. The neutron-to-proton ratio is then N/Z = 68/40 = 1.7.
However, it is important to note that Zirconium-108 is a theoretical isotope and may not conform to the known stable neutron-proton ratio trends, which generally increase to about 1.5:1 for the heaviest nuclei like lead-206. This ratio contributes to the assessment of stability and potential decay pathways for a nuclide.