Final answer:
In chemistry, the number of vacancies in a hypothetical metal can be determined by considering the concept of point defects. Vacancies are one type of point defect, where an atom is missing from its regular lattice position. The number of vacancies can be calculated by subtracting the number of actual atoms from the number of expected atoms in the crystal structure of the metal.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the field of chemistry, the number of vacancies in a hypothetical metal can be determined by considering the concept of point defects. Vacancies are one type of point defect, where an atom is missing from its regular lattice position. The number of vacancies can be calculated by subtracting the number of actual atoms from the number of expected atoms in the crystal structure of the metal.
For example, if a metal has a crystal structure with 100 atoms, but there are only 95 actual atoms present, then the number of vacancies would be 100 - 95 = 5.