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What is the atomic number and what does it tell you about the number of protons in an atom?
The atomic number is equal to the number of protons in the nucleus, and for neutral atoms, it is the same as the number of electrons. In an attempt to keep atoms and ions from getting confused with one another, it is best to think of atoms as always being electrically neutral and ions should be considered charged positively or negatively depending on whether electrons are gained or lost by an atom during the chemical combination of atoms in forming substances such as water, salt and rust found on metals. Protons in atoms and ions are always the same for a specific atom.
Every element has a unique atomic number, and so each element's identity is determined by the number of protons in its nucleus.
However, the same element can have different numbers of neutrons in its nucleus. Two atoms of the same element with two different numbers of neutrons in the nucleus are called isotopes. Also, note that if an atom is not charged (neutral), then the number of protons must equal the number of electrons, and so the atomic number is also equal to the number of electrons in a neutral atom of each element.
However, if the atom is charged (and therefore called an ion), it will have a different number of electrons orbiting it. If the number of electrons is less than the number of protons, it will be a positively charged ion, and the charge will equal the difference between the number of electrons and protons. The same is true if it has more electrons than protons, except now the charge will be negative.
Look under the Web Links below this answer for a Periodic Table. The number listed for each element is its atomic number. Also see the Related Questions links for more information about the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom.
What else can I help you with?
The atomic number of an atom indicates the number of?
The atomic number is the number of protons in the atom. In the case of a neutral atom (as opposed to an ion), the atomic number is also equal to the total number of electrons.
What does an element's atomic number tell us?
An element's atomic number tells us the number of protons in an atom of that element. It is used to uniquely identify the element and determine its placement on the periodic table. The atomic number also corresponds to the number of electrons in a neutral atom of that element.
What atom has 23 protons and 29 nuetrons?
If it has 23 protons it has to be Vanadium no matter the number of neutrons. Deciding what element an atom is depends solely on the number of protons. However, the neutrons tell you which isotope of vanadium it is.
What atomic number is the least reactive?
You would have to give me number to compare but I would say the one with the higher atomic number. The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus, so I would assume that the more protons an atom has, the more reactive it is. like with a magnet, if you have two or three magnets, they will be reactive, but if you have seven or eight, they will be much MORE reactive. Hope this helps!
Why is this that most chlorine atoms contain 18 neutrons?
It would have 17 electrons. All chlorine atoms would have 17 electrons because they are electrically neutral, which means that number of protons (of charge +1) would be equal to number of electrons (of charge -1). This is true for all isotopes of chlorine.
What do the atomic number and mass number tell you about the atom?
the atomic number is the number of protons/electrons in the atom
What do the atomic number and the mass number tell you about the atom?
the atomic number is the number of protons/electrons in the atom
What does the atomic number of an element tell you about that atom?
Atomic number = Number of protons
What does the atomic number tell about an atom of that element?
Atomic number = Number of protons
What does atomic number tell you?
Tell you the number of protons and electrons in an atom
The atomic number of an atom indicates the number of?
The atomic number is the number of protons in the atom. In the case of a neutral atom (as opposed to an ion), the atomic number is also equal to the total number of electrons.
What does the atomic number of a element tell you?
No. of protons in the atom.
What does the number of protons in an atom also tell you?
The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom tell you which element you are dealing with. It is the number of protons in an atomic nucleus that determines the elemental identity. Only that. The atomic number of an element is the number of protons you will find in the nucleus of every atom of that element, regardless of the number of neutrons or electrons involved.
What does the atomic number tells you?
The atomic number tells you how many protons and electrons are in a specific element.Atomic number tells us about protons. Number of protons that atom contains.
What does the atomic number of an element tell you about its atom?
It would tell you how many neutrons make up the Nucleus of the atom.
What information does the atomic number tell you about an atom?
The atomic number of an atom tells you the number of protons in the nucleus of that atom. It determines the element to which the atom belongs on the periodic table. Each element has a unique atomic number.
The number of protons in this atom is?
The number of protons in an atom is determined by its atomic number, which is a unique characteristic of each element. To find the number of protons in an atom, you can simply look up the element on the periodic table and the atomic number listed will tell you how many protons the atom has.
