Copper (Cu) has 35 neutrons. To understand why, let’s break it down:
Copper has an atomic number of 29, which means it has 29 protons in its nucleus. The atomic mass of copper is approximately 63.55. Since the atomic mass is the sum of protons and neutrons, we can calculate the number of neutrons by subtracting the atomic number from the atomic mass.
For the most common isotope of copper, Cu-63, the calculation is as follows:
Number of Neutrons = Atomic Mass – Atomic Number
Number of Neutrons = 63 – 29 = 34
However, copper also has another stable isotope, Cu-65, which has 36 neutrons. On average, considering the natural abundance of these isotopes, copper has about 35 neutrons.
In summary, the number of neutrons in copper can vary slightly depending on the isotope, but the average number of neutrons in naturally occurring copper is 35.