Gold, represented by the chemical symbol Au, has an atomic number of 79. This means a single atom of gold contains 79 protons in its nucleus. Since gold is a neutral element, it also has 79 electrons orbiting around the nucleus.
In addition to protons and electrons, gold atoms also contain neutrons. The most stable isotope of gold is Au-197, which has 118 neutrons. To find the total number of subatomic particles in a gold atom, we simply add the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons together:
- Protons: 79
- Neutrons: 118
- Electrons: 79
So in total, a single atom of gold has:
Total Subatomic Particles = Protons + Neutrons + Electrons
Total Subatomic Particles = 79 + 118 + 79 = 276
Thus, there are 276 subatomic particles in a gold atom.