Stable, non-radioactive nuclides fall within a specific "zone of stability" on a plot of neutrons vs. protons. As the atomic number increases to heavy elements, the stable neutron-to-proton () ratio:

Question

Stable, non-radioactive nuclides fall within a specific "zone of stability" on a plot of neutrons vs. protons. As the atomic number increases to heavy elements, the stable neutron-to-proton ($n/p$) ratio:

Prashant Kotian · Accepted Answer

Correct answer: C. For light elements (), the stable ratio is . As increases, extra neutrons are required to buffer proton repulsion, causing the stable ratio to gradually increase up to roughly for the heaviest stable elements.

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