How many neutrons are in Lithium?

Answer 1

The question as asked does not have a definitive answer. Lithium has several isotopes (a nucleus with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons). The two stable isotopes of lithium are Lithium 6 with three neutrons and lithium 7 with four neutrons. Lithium 7 is the predominant isotope, about 92.5%. Unstable known isotopes of lithium include Lithium 8 (5 neutrons), Lithium 9 (6 neutrons), lithium 11 (8 neutrons) and lithium 4 (one neutron).

Answer 2

Lithium is the third element in the Periodic Table with an atomic number of 3 and an atomic mass of 6.941. Recall that the atomic number represents the number of protons and the atomic mass represents the number of both protons and neutrons within the nucleus. (To avoid having a fraction of a neutron, always round the atomic mass.)

Therefore, to find the number or neutrons, we will subtract the atomic number from the atomic mass.

Number of Neutrons = 7 - 3 = 4

Lithium has four neutrons.