How much neutrons does Radon have?

Answer 1

The number of neutrons in radon varies depending on which isotope of radon is specified. Let's look at what there is, but first let's review what we know about radon. Ready? Let's jump. Radon (Rn) is an inert gas, and it's unstable. It is radioactive, and all isotopes of radon will spontaneously undergo nuclear decay. Radon itself is the product of the radioactive decay of radium (226Ra). Yes, that stuff Marie Skłodowska-Curie discovered. Radon itself is element 86, and that means it has 86 protons in the nucleus. Always. The one isotope of radon that results from the decay of natural radium is 222Rn. The identification as radon-222 means that there are a total of 222 protons and neutrons in the nucleus. Since there are 86 protons, we can infer that there are 136 neutrons in that nucleus. We have the only naturally occurring isotope of radon identified. There is another isotope of radium, 228Rn, that is the product of the radioactive decay of naturally occurring thorium-232 (232Th). But the half life of the thorium from which this radioisotope occurs is, like, 1.4 x 1010 years. Yeah, you're right - there isn't a lot of thorium undergoing a decay reaction, even though there is a lot of thorium around. It's pretty stable. Plus, the half life of 228Rn is only about a minute! It's gone in 60 seconds! (Actually, about 65 seconds.) Anyway, the 228Rn has 86 protons and 142 neutrons. There are some other isotopes of radon that we've synthesized in the nuclear physics lab, and there are 32 of them. With the two we talked about and these 32, that makes 34 known isotopes of radon. A table with a list of all the isotopes of radon and their numbers of protons (which will always be 86) and neutrons can be viewed by using the link to the isotopes of radon. That list is posted at Wikipedia, and the link can be found below.

Answer 2

Radon typically has 136 neutrons.

Answer 3

136