Question

What do you understand by atomic number?

Answer 1

Atomic number { Z}: Total number of an electron or proton in a neutral atom is considered an atomic number.

• These terms were first introduced by henry Gwyn Jefferies Moseley.
• It is denoted by the letter Z.
• The chemical properties of an element are determined by the number of protons in the nucleus.
• This is why the knowledge of atomic numbers is important in understanding the chemistry of elements.
• It is also known as the nuclear charge number.
• For example — In a sodium atom, represent as ${}_{11}{}^{}\mathrm{Na}$²³ 11 is the atomic number and 23 is the mass number.