Consider an atom of gold in which the nucleus contains 79 protons and 118 neutrons. If it is doubly ionized, what is the charge of the gold ion and how many electrons remain in the ion?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

First, identify the basic facts: gold has 79 protons in the nucleus, so the atomic number Z = 79. The nucleus also contains neutrons, but that does not affect the charge directly; it only contributes to the mass. A doubly ionized atom means it has lost two electrons relative to its neutral state.

- In a neutral gold atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons, which is 79. If the atom is doubly ionized (lost 2 electrons), the remaining electrons are 79 − 2 = 77.

- The charge of the ion is determined by the difference between protons (positive charges) and electrons (negative charges). With 2 fewer electrons than protons, the net charge is +2 (since 79 positive charges minus 77 negative charges equals +2).

Since there are no other answer options presented to compare against, we can verify that the stated result—charge +2 and 77 electrons—consistently follows from the given information about protons and the doubly ionized state.

If one were to consider alternative choices (were they provided), a common incorrect path might be to miscount the electrons or to confuse the effect of ionization state on charge; for example, assuming the ion has the same number of electrons as protons or misapplying the ionization state. However, with 79 protons and 77 electrons in a doubly ionized gold atom, the net charge must be +2 and the electron count must be 77.

EARTHSC 2205 SP2025 (19389) LightMatter

Consider an atom of gold in which the nucleus contains 79 protons and 118 neutrons. If it is doubly ionized, what is the charge of the gold ion and how many electrons remain in the ion?

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