Transition metal

Atomic Mass of Palladium (Pd)

Quick answer

The relative atomic mass of Palladium is 106.42 u — the weighted average of its naturally occurring isotopes, on the carbon-12 scale.

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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.

QuantityValue
Atomic number (Z)46
Relative atomic mass106.42 u
Protons46
Neutrons (commonest isotope)60
Electrons46

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.