53I131 (iodine-131) is widely used in diagnosing and treating thyroid cancer. a. How many protons are in the nucleus of this isotope? b. How many neutrons are in the nucleus of this isotope?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
Answer:
a. Number of Protons in Iodine-131
Iodine (I) has an atomic number of 53, which means every iodine atom, including its isotopes, has 53 protons in its nucleus.
b. Number of Neutrons in Iodine-131
The number of neutrons in an isotope is calculated using the formula:
[
\text{Number of Neutrons} = \text{Mass Number} – \text{Atomic Number}
]
For iodine-131:
[
131 – 53 = 78
]
So, iodine-131 has 78 neutrons in its nucleus.
Explanation:
Iodine-131 ((^{131}I)) is a radioactive isotope of iodine widely used in medical applications, especially for diagnosing and treating thyroid disorders, including thyroid cancer and hyperthyroidism. It has a half-life of approximately 8 days, meaning that in about 8 days, half of a given sample of iodine-131 will decay.
The atomic number of iodine is 53, which defines the number of protons in the nucleus. Since protons determine the chemical identity of an element, all iodine atoms, whether stable or radioactive, will have 53 protons.
The mass number of iodine-131 is 131, which includes the total number of protons and neutrons. To find the number of neutrons, we subtract the atomic number (53) from the mass number (131), resulting in 78 neutrons.
Iodine-131 undergoes beta decay, where a neutron in the nucleus converts into a proton and an electron (beta particle), increasing the atomic number by 1. This transforms iodine-131 into xenon-131 ((^{131}Xe)), a stable element.
The radiation emitted by iodine-131 is useful for medical imaging and therapy. When administered, it is absorbed by the thyroid gland, where it emits beta radiation to destroy cancerous or overactive thyroid cells while minimizing damage to surrounding tissues.
Now, I will generate an image illustrating the atomic structure of iodine-131.
Here is the atomic model of iodine-131, illustrating its nucleus with 53 protons (red spheres) and 78 neutrons (blue spheres), along with surrounding electron shells. Let me know if you need any modifications or further explanations!