The isotope 226Ra (Radium-226) has specific characteristics that define the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons it contains.
First, let’s break it down:
- Protons: The atomic number of Radium (Ra) is 88. This means every Radium atom, including its isotopes, has 88 protons.
- Neutrons: The mass number of an isotope is the total number of protons and neutrons. For 226Ra, the mass number is 226. To find the number of neutrons, we subtract the number of protons from the mass number:
Neutrons = Mass number – Protons = 226 – 88 = 138
- Electrons: In a neutral atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons. Since Radium typically behaves as a neutral atom, it will also have 88 electrons.
In summary:
- Number of protons: 88
- Number of neutrons: 138
- Number of electrons: 88
Therefore, for the isotope 226Ra:
- Protons: 88
- Neutrons: 138
- Electrons: 88