Question

Molybdenum has an atomic number of 42. Several common isotopes exist, with mass numbers from 92-100. Based on this information, which of the following is also true of molybdenum?

Answer 1

Molybdenum has 42 protons, 42 electrons, and the number of neutrons can range from 50 to 58.

Step-by-step explanation:

Molybdenum has an atomic number of 42, which means it has 42 protons in its nucleus.

Since the atomic number gives the number of protons, it can also be used to determine the number of electrons in a neutral atom. Therefore, molybdenum also has 42 electrons.

The number of neutrons can be calculated by subtracting the atomic number from the mass number. For molybdenum, the mass numbers range from 92 to 100. So, the number of neutrons in molybdenum can range from 92 - 42 = 50 to 100 - 42 = 58.