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These two combinations are isotopes of helium, and bothare stable. On earth helium-4 (two protons & two neutrons) is about a million times more abundant then helium-3 (two protons & one neutron). A link can be found below for more information.

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13y ago
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14y ago

In a simple sense, protons and neutrons keep each other balanced. If there's an uneven number of either, this balance is destroyed.

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Q: Why are 2 protons and one neutron unstable?
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What are examples of isotopes with fewer neutrons than protons?

Hydrogen-1 (protium):1 proton, 0 neutrons (stable) Helium-2 (diproton): 2 protons, 0 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Helium-3: 2 protons, 1 neutron (stable) Lithium-4: 3 protons, 1 neutron (unstable - extremely short half-life) Lithium-5: 3 protons, 2 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Beryllium-5: 4 protons, 1 neutron (mostly theoretical, unstable, extremely short half-life if formed) Beryllium-5: 4 protons, 2 neutron (unstable - extremely short half-life) Beryllium-5: 4 protons, 3 neutron (unstable - extremely short half-life) Boron-6: 5 protons, 1 neutron (mostly theoretical, extremely short half-life if formed) Boron-7: 5 protons, 2 neutron (unstable - extremely short half-life) Boron-8: 5 protons, 3 neutron (unstable - short half-life) Boron-9: 5 protons, 4 neutron (unstable - extremely short half-life) Carbon-8: 6 protons, 2 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Carbon-9: 6 protons, 3 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Carbon-10: 6 protons, 4 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Carbon-11: 6 protons, 5 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Nitrogen-10: 7 protons, 3 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Nitrogen-11: 7 protons, 4 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Nitrogen-12: 7 protons, 5 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Nitrogen-13: 7 protons, 6 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Oxygen-12: 8 protons, 4 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Oxygen-13: 8 protons, 5 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Oxygen-14: 8 protons, 6 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Oxygen-15: 8 protons, 7 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Fluorine-14: 9 protons, 5 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Fluorine-15: 9 protons, 6 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Fluorine-16: 9 protons, 7 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Fluorine-17: 9 protons, 8 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Neon-16: 10 protons, 6 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Neon-17: 10 protons, 7 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Neon-18: 10 protons, 8 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Neon-19: 10 protons, 9 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) ... and the list goes on


What is the neutron of helium?

The natural isotope 4He has 2 protons and 2 neutrons. The natural isotope 3He has 2 protons and 1 neutron.


How many protons and neutrons and electrons does helium-have?

Protons: 2 neutrons: 2 electrons: 2 Helium-3: 2 protons, 1 neutron, 2 electrons Helium-4: 2 protons, 2 neutrons, 2 electrons


Is it true that a unstable nuclei will undergo radioactive decay in order to gain stability?

It is true that unstable nuclei will undergo radioactive decay in order to gain stability. These include nuclei of #43 Technitium (Tc), any nucleus containing more that 83 protons and any nucleus with a high neutron-to-proton ratio, such as carbon-14. The most common forms of decay are by emission of an alpha particle (2 protons and 2 neutrons ... a helium nucleus!) or a beta-negative decay in which a neutron bcomes a proton by emitting an electron and an antineutrino.


Protons and neutrons can be subdivided into by colliding them?

A proton can be divided into 2 Ups and a Down quark, and a neutron into 2 Downs and an Up quark. In general the quark is the elementary particle from which protons and neutron are formed.

Related questions

What are examples of isotopes with fewer neutrons than protons?

Hydrogen-1 (protium):1 proton, 0 neutrons (stable) Helium-2 (diproton): 2 protons, 0 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Helium-3: 2 protons, 1 neutron (stable) Lithium-4: 3 protons, 1 neutron (unstable - extremely short half-life) Lithium-5: 3 protons, 2 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Beryllium-5: 4 protons, 1 neutron (mostly theoretical, unstable, extremely short half-life if formed) Beryllium-5: 4 protons, 2 neutron (unstable - extremely short half-life) Beryllium-5: 4 protons, 3 neutron (unstable - extremely short half-life) Boron-6: 5 protons, 1 neutron (mostly theoretical, extremely short half-life if formed) Boron-7: 5 protons, 2 neutron (unstable - extremely short half-life) Boron-8: 5 protons, 3 neutron (unstable - short half-life) Boron-9: 5 protons, 4 neutron (unstable - extremely short half-life) Carbon-8: 6 protons, 2 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Carbon-9: 6 protons, 3 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Carbon-10: 6 protons, 4 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Carbon-11: 6 protons, 5 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Nitrogen-10: 7 protons, 3 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Nitrogen-11: 7 protons, 4 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Nitrogen-12: 7 protons, 5 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Nitrogen-13: 7 protons, 6 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Oxygen-12: 8 protons, 4 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Oxygen-13: 8 protons, 5 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Oxygen-14: 8 protons, 6 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Oxygen-15: 8 protons, 7 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Fluorine-14: 9 protons, 5 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Fluorine-15: 9 protons, 6 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Fluorine-16: 9 protons, 7 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Fluorine-17: 9 protons, 8 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Neon-16: 10 protons, 6 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Neon-17: 10 protons, 7 neutrons (unstable - extremely short half-life) Neon-18: 10 protons, 8 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) Neon-19: 10 protons, 9 neutrons (unstable - short half-life) ... and the list goes on


An example of an atom that has no charge is one that has A 2 protons 2 electrons and 1 neutron B 1 proton 2 electrons and 3 neutrons C 3 protons 1 electron and 3 neutrons?

2 protons, 2 electrons, and 1 neutron


What is the neutron of helium?

The natural isotope 4He has 2 protons and 2 neutrons. The natural isotope 3He has 2 protons and 1 neutron.


How many neutrons helium has?

Helium-4 has 2 protons and 2 neutrons. The less common helium-3 has 2 protons but only 1 neutron. There are also several additional isotopes (that is, different number of neutrons), but those are unstable (radioactive).


How many number of neutrons in helium 3?

1 neutron It has in its nucleus 1 neutron and 2 protons so its mass number is 3, hence whay it is called helium-3. (Mass number = # of protons + # of neutrons)


What causes something to be radioactive?

Atomic nuclei with more than 84 protons or a large neutron-to-proton ratio is unstable. These nuclei will lose alpha-particles (generally reduces the nucleus by 2 protons and 2 neutrons) or beta-particles (generally turns a neutron to a proton) until it becomes stable. This can take billions of years or a fraction of a second, depending on the isotope.


How many protons and how many neutrons in the nucleus of a helium 4 atom?

2 protons and 2 neutron


How many neutron are there in the lithium ion that has 3 protons?

2


What can protons and neutrons be subdivided into by colliding them?

A proton can be divided into 2 Ups and a Down quark, and a neutron into 2 Downs and an Up quark. In general the quark is the elementary particle from which protons and neutron are formed.


How many protron and neutron particles does alpha have?

2 protons, 2 neutrons


What element has only 1 neutron?

The isotope helium-3 has only one neutron. It has 1 neutron, 2 protons and 2 electrons. You can get an atom's number of neutrons by subtracting its atomic number from its mass (nucleon) number.


How many protons and neutrons and electrons does helium-have?

Protons: 2 neutrons: 2 electrons: 2 Helium-3: 2 protons, 1 neutron, 2 electrons Helium-4: 2 protons, 2 neutrons, 2 electrons