Question

1. how many protons and neutrons does iron - 56 have?

56
26 fe
26 protons and 56 neutrons
26 protons and 26 neutrons
30 protons and 56 neutrons
26 protons and 30 neutrons

Explanation:

Step1: Determine the number of protons

The atomic number (lower number) of an element gives the number of protons. For iron (\(Fe\)), the atomic number is \(26\), so there are \(26\) protons.

Step2: Calculate the number of neutrons

The mass number (upper number) is the sum of protons and neutrons. The mass number of iron - 56 is \(56\). Using the formula \(n=\text{Mass number}-\text{Atomic number}\), we substitute the values: \(n = 56 - 26\).

$$n=30$$

Answer:

26 protons and 30 neutrons