All atoms of the same element have the same number of _____ in their nucleus.

All atoms of the same element have the same number of _____ in their nucleus.

(a) neutrons

(b) electrons

(c) protons

(d) neutrons and protons

(e) protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Answer: (c) protons

As for the protons, all atoms belonging to the same element are characterized by the same number of protons in the nucleus. This one goes to the fabric of the chemical world and essentially defines an element. The atomic number is the number of protons in an atom’s nucleus and it specifies the element type. For instance, all hydrogen atoms have one proton in their nucleus, all carbons have six protons and so on, and all oxygen atoms contain eight protons. While the number of neutrons may vary within atomic structures of the same element producing isotopes or within an electrical charge change within atoms of the same element to produce ions, the number of protons is fixed at a certain amount for each element. It is this consistency in proton numbers that enables us to structure the periodic table and make anticipation of an element’s chemical characteristics. It is basic to atomic structure and is at the root of most of present-day chemistry and physics.