When a nuclear shell is formed, the atom is stable and does not quickly decay. In general, eight is a ‘magic’ number of ...

The isotope lead-208 was predicted to be extremely stable and perfectly spherical because of the “magic” numbers of electrons and protons orbiting its nucleus. When researchers blasted lead ...

These "magic numbers" are 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82, and 126. For magic nuclei, the number of neutrons or protons is equal to the magic number, whereas for doubly magic nuclei, both are magic numbers.