This slight excess of energy is released as gamma radiation. If this ratio is not achieved, then the system will experience some level of instability. Elements beyond the first twenty will prefer more neutrons than protons. Consequently, the ratio will be a number that is greater than one. The preferred value for that ratio is not well-defined.
Nucleons are the primary sub-atomic particles found in a nucleus.
They are the protons and neutrons. The sum of the nucleons in a nucleus is called the Mass Number . Isotopes of a specific element will have the same number of protons, but differing numbers of total nucleons. Nuclide is the general term for any isotope of an element. As an example, an atom of phosphorus with 15 protons and 15 neutrons is a specific isotope of phosphorus.