For an atom to be stable in nature, it is required that the atom must have more number of neutrons as compared to protons.
But if the atom has more number of protons then due like positive charge more repulsion will occur inside the nucleus and therefore, the atom will become unstable. This is because then electrostatic force of repulsion will be greater than the nuclear binding force.
Thus, we can conclude that a stable atom that has a large nucleus most likely contains more neutrons than protons.
The law of conservation of mass dictates that the total mass of reactants must be equal to the total mass of the products. Thus: mass(MgO) = mass(Mg) + mass(O) mass(MgO) = 24 + 16 mass(MgO) = 40 g