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Difficulty: MediumAtomic Structure and Periodic Table

An isotope of an alkaline earth metal located in Period 4 (Group 2) of the periodic table contains 2424 neutrons in its nucleus. What is the mass number of this neutral isotope?

Answer: 44

Answer

44
An element in Group 2 and Period 4 of the periodic table is calcium (Ca\text{Ca}), which has an atomic number of 2020. This means every calcium atom contains 2020 protons in its nucleus. The mass number of an isotope is the total number of protons and neutrons combined: 20 protons+24 neutrons=4420\text{ protons} + 24\text{ neutrons} = 44.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the atomic number of the element using its periodic table position.
Atomic number is 2020 (contains 2020 protons).
The alkaline earth metal (Group 2) in Period 4 is calcium (Ca\text{Ca}), which has an atomic number of 2020.
2
Calculate the mass number by summing the number of protons and neutrons.
Mass number=20+24=44\text{Mass number} = 20 + 24 = 44.
The mass number (AA) is defined as the total count of nucleons (protons plus neutrons) in the nucleus.

Key Concept

Determining mass number from periodic table position and subatomic particle counts
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Atomic Structure and Periodic Table

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