what does the atomic number represent?

what does the atomic number represent?

2 months ago 17
Nature

The atomic number of an element represents the number of protons in the nucleus of each atom of that element. It uniquely identifies the element because every atom of a given element has the same number of protons

. In a neutral atom, the atomic number also equals the number of electrons, since the positive charge of protons is balanced by the negative charge of electrons

. Thus, the atomic number determines the element's identity and its position in the periodic table, as elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic number

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