A tripositive ion, X^{3+}, has a mass number of 56 and contains 23 electrons. How many neu… — JAMB UTME

A tripositive ion, $X^{3+}$ , has a mass number of $56$ and contains $23$ electrons. How many neutrons are present in the nucleus of an atom of element $X$ ?

Answer: 30

Answer

To find the number of neutrons, first determine the atomic number (number of protons) of element

X

. The ion

X^{3+}

carries a

+3

charge because it lost 3 electrons. Since

X^{3+}

has 23 electrons, the neutral atom

X

has

23 + 3 = 26

electrons, which means it has 26 protons. The mass number (

A = 56

) is the sum of protons (

Z

) and neutrons (

N

). Thus,

N = 56 - 26 = 30

Step-by-Step Solution

Determine the atomic number (number of protons) of element

X

Protons (

Z

) = 26

The tripositive ion

X^{3+}

has lost 3 electrons. The neutral atom has

23 + 3 = 26

electrons, which equals its proton count.

Calculate the number of neutrons

Neutrons (

N

) = 30

Subtract the atomic number from the mass number:

N = A - Z = 56 - 26 = 30

Key Concept

Calculation of subatomic particles in ions using atomic number and mass number relationships

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