atomic number

atomic number

n. Symbol Z Abbr. at. no.

The number of protons in an atomic nucleus.

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atomic number

Noun

the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom of an element

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atomic number

The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom. In electrically neutral atoms, this number is also equal to the number of electrons orbiting about the atom's nucleus. The atomic number of an element determines its position in the Periodic Table, and is usually denoted by the letter Z and written as a subscript before an element's symbol, as in ₉₂U.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

atomic number - the order of an element in Mendeleyev's table of the elements; equal to the number of protons in the nucleus or electrons in the neutral state of an atom of an element number - a concept of quantity involving zero and units; "every number has a unique position in the sequence" magic number - the atomic number of an extra stable strongly bound atomic nucleus: 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82 or 126