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Multiple Choice
How many neutrons does a lithium (Li) atom typically have?
A
4
B
3
C
5
D
6
Verified step by step guidance
1
Identify the atomic number of lithium (Li) from the periodic table. The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, and for lithium, it is 3.
Determine the most common isotope of lithium. The most common isotope of lithium is lithium-7, which is denoted as \( ^7Li \).
Understand that the mass number of an isotope is the sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. For \( ^7Li \), the mass number is 7.
Use the formula: \( \text{Number of neutrons} = \text{Mass number} - \text{Atomic number} \). For lithium-7, this becomes \( 7 - 3 \).
Calculate the number of neutrons by subtracting the atomic number (3) from the mass number (7) to find the typical number of neutrons in a lithium atom.