Atomic number

Main article: Atomic number

The atomic number of an element is equal to the number of protons in each atom, and defines
the element.[14] For example, all carbon atoms contain 6 protons in their atomic nucleus; so
the atomic number of carbon is 6.[15] Carbon atoms may have different numbers of neutrons;
atoms of the same element having different numbers of neutrons are known as isotopes of the
element.[16]

The number of protons in the atomic nucleus also determines its electric charge, which in turn
determines the number of electrons of the atom in its non-ionized state. The electrons are
placed into atomic orbitals that determine the atom's various chemical properties. The number
of neutrons in a nucleus usually has very little effect on an element's chemical properties
(except in the case of hydrogen and deuterium). Thus, all carbon isotopes have nearly
identical chemical properties because they all have six protons and six electrons, even though
carbon atoms may, for example, have 6 or 8 neutrons. That is why the atomic number, rather
than mass number or atomic weight, is considered the identifying characteristic of a chemical
element.

The symbol for atomic number is Z.