An element's most stable ion forms an ionic compound with chlorine having the formula XCl₂. If the mass number of the ion is 89 and it has 36 electrons, what is the element and how many neutrons does it have?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The element is Strontium (Sr) because it has 36 electrons in its ion form, indicating it has lost 2 electrons (since Sr's atomic number is 38). The mass number is 89, so to find the number of neutrons, subtract the atomic number (38) from the mass number (89), which gives 51 neutrons.

An Element's Most Stable Ion Forms an Ionic Compound with Chlorine