Question

An atom of a certain element has 22 protons, 22 electrons, and a mass number of 48 amu. At room temperature this element is a very strong solid with a very high melting point. How many neutrons are in this atom?

Answer 1

The atom has 26 neutrons. It is determined by subtracting the number of protons (22) from the atom's mass number (48 amu), as the mass number equals the sum of protons and neutrons.

Step-by-step explanation:

The atom described in the question has 22 protons, 22 electrons, and a mass number of 48 amu. To determine the number of neutrons in this atom, we use the formula for the mass number (A), which is the sum of the number of protons (Z) and neutrons (N).

Mass number (A) = Number of protons (Z) + Number of neutrons (N)

In this case, A = 48 and Z = 22. Hence:

48 = 22 + N

Therefore, the number of neutrons (N) is:

N = 48 - 22 = 26 neutrons.

The element with an atomic number of 22 is titanium (Ti), which is known for its strength and high melting point, matching the description of the element in the question.