Question

How many neutrons are in neon?

Answer 1

Hint : Neon has an atomic number of $10$ . For any atom to be known as neon, it should have $10$ protons. If there is an increase of electrons and neutrons then it becomes some other atom and not neon.

Complete Step By Step Answer:
The number of neutrons can vary depending upon the type of isotope it is. There are many isotopes of neon. We have Neon- $20$ which has $10$ neutrons, Neon- $21$ which have $11$ neutrons and Neon- $22$ which have $12$ neutrons and so on. We can find the number of neutrons in an atom by looking at the atomic mass and subtracting the number of protons from it. The ionization energy (the energy it takes to take away an electron) is gigantic, so let's just assume that the neon atom is neutral, in which case it would have 10 electrons. There are various isotopes of neon, but most common is neon- $20$ .when there are a total of $10$ electrons and $10$ neutrons in the orbitals, it is the same to be neon. Neutrons are neutrally charged. It always possesses the same number with electrons. Not just for neon, it is the same for other atoms too. So, for neon, the number of protons should be $10$ .

Note :
The reddish orange colour emitted in neon lights is widely used to make advertising signs. It gives an advantage, as it highlights the area and draws more attention from the observer. It is even used for high voltage indicators, wave meters and television tubes.