To determine how many electrons are in a Y³⁺ ion, we first need to know the atomic number of Yttrium (Y), which is 39. The atomic number indicates the number of protons in a neutral atom of Yttrium.
When a Yttrium atom loses three electrons to form a Y³⁺ ion, it means:
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The neutral Yttrium atom has 39 protons and 39 electrons.
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After losing three electrons, the number of electrons becomes:
[ 39 \text{ (original electrons)} - 3 \text{ (lost electrons)} = 36 \text{ electrons} ]
Therefore, a Y³⁺ ion contains 36 electrons.