Chapter SH, Problem 16.5APP

To determine

To calculate: Ratio of protons to neutrons in radium-234.

Answer to Problem 16.5APP

Ratio of protons to neutrons is $44:73$ .

Explanation of Solution

Given:

Mass number = $234$

Formula used:

Mass number is given by,

  $\text{Mass number = number of protons + number of neutrons}$

Calculation:

Atomic number of radium is $88$ . Therefore, number of protons = $88$ .

Number of neutrons is calculated as:

  $\begin{array}{l}\text{Mass number = number of protons + number of neutrons}\\ \text{234 = 88 + number of neutrons}\\ \text{number of neutrons = 234}-88=146\end{array}$

Ratio of protons to neutrons is calculated as:

  $\begin{array}{l}\frac{\text{Number of protons}}{\text{Number of neutrons}}\\ =\frac{88}{146}\\ =\frac{44}{73}\end{array}$

Conclusion:

Ratio of protons to neutrons is $44:73$ .