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What is the atomic number representative of in an element?

Jan 3, 2024

What is the atomic number representative of in an element?

Here is a Step-by-Step solution: #step 1#

The atomic number of an element is the number of protons found in the nucleus of an atom of that element.

#step 2#

The atomic number is denoted by the symbol

Z

. It is a unique identifier for each element and determines the element's position in the periodic table.

#step 3#

Since the number of protons defines the identity of an element, the atomic number essentially tells us which element we are looking at. For example, an atomic number of 1 corresponds to hydrogen, while an atomic number of 6 corresponds to carbon.

Answer

The atomic number represents the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom of an element.

Key Concept

Atomic Number

Explanation

The atomic number (

Z

) is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which determines the identity of the element and its position in the periodic table.