Atomic Mass of Palladium (Pd)
The relative atomic mass of Palladium is 106.42 u — the weighted average of its naturally occurring isotopes, on the carbon-12 scale.
This is the fast lane: one page, one fact, zero digressions. Read the quick answer, check the table, and if your exam needs the full derivation, the sections below walk through it step by step — in Bangla and English, like every page here. Need the whole picture instead — history, characteristics, uses, exam questions? The full Palladium page is one click away.
Palladium by the numbers
One Palladium atom carries 46 protons in its nucleus; add the neutrons of its commonest isotope (about 60) and you get its mass number, roughly 106.
| Quantity | Value |
|---|---|
| Atomic number (Z) | 46 |
| Relative atomic mass | 106.42 u |
| Protons | 46 |
| Neutrons (commonest isotope) | 60 |
| Electrons | 46 |
Atomic mass vs mass number
Mass number (A) counts particles — protons + neutrons in one specific atom, always a whole number. Relative atomic mass is the experimentally measured average over all natural isotopes, so it comes out fractional (106.42). Exams love this one-mark distinction.
Students also ask
Is the atomic mass of Palladium a whole number?
No. 106.42 u is the average of Palladium's natural isotopes, which is why it lands between whole numbers. The mass number of a single isotope, though, is always whole.
How many neutrons does Palladium have?
Neutrons = mass number − atomic number. For Palladium's commonest isotope that is about 106 − 46 = 60, though the exact count differs between isotopes.
