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Atomic Number is the number of protons in the nucleus. It is also the number of electrons the atom has. It is the number of electrons that determines the chemical behavoir of the atom. Mass number is the number of Protons and Neutrons the nucleus has. Neutrons have no effect on the electron number and therefore on the atom's chemical behavoir. So atoms with the same Atomic Number and different Mass Number all have the same chemical properties. This then is a usefull way to define an "element". Atoms with different Atomic Numbers will have very different chemical properties, regardless if their Mass Numbers are equal or not so it would not be very usefull to call two atoms with different chemical properties the same element.

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What is the name of the number used to identify atoms of elements?

The atomic number.


How do you identify an atom?

- Atomic number is equal to the number of protons - Atomic number is equal to the number of electrons (in a neutral atom) - Atomic number is the number of a chemical element in the periodic table of Mendeleev


An atoms atomic number is the number of what in its nucleus?

atomic number


How does the atomic number identify the atoms of a particular element?

The atomic number of an element is unique to that element. The atomic number is equal to the amount of electrons in one atom of that element. As each element categorically has it's own amount of electrons, you can identify an element from this number.


What is the atomic number of atoms?

how do you find the atomic number for an element?


Is the atomic number the number of atoms it has?

The atomic number is equal to the number of protons.


The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom used for identifying an element?

Yes, the number of protons is always used to identify an element. This is also known as its atomic number.


How do you you work out the number of neutrons in an atom?

Atomic Mass minus atomic number


Which number is the atomic number?

the number of protons in an atoms nucleus is called atomic number


What is number of protons of an atom is the atoms atomic number?

The number of protons in the atomic nucleus is equal to atomic number.


What does an element's atomic number stand for?

Atomic number is the number of protons in the atomic nuclei of the atoms of an element.


Atomic number is the number of an atoms what?

Protons.