

The periodic table shows the atomic mass of each element, and it’s almost always a decimal.

The atomic mass of an element is calculated by adding together the number of protons and neutrons an atom has. On the periodic table, the atomic mass of elements increases as the atomic number increases, with a few exceptions. So, the atomic mass of an element is calculated by adding together the number of protons and neutrons an atom has. Electrons are negligible in atomic mass calculations as their mass is 1/2000 th of an atomic mass unit. When determining the mass of an atom, protons and neutrons are counted, and they have masses of approximately 1 atomic mass unit each. More than one form of each element exists on Earth these variants are called isotopes and differ from each other only in the number of neutrons each has in its nucleus. The number of electrons is also the same as the atomic number, as the atom is neutral and therefore has equal numbers of positive protons and negative electrons. The atomic number of an element is the number of protons the atom has in its nucleus. The atomic number of an element is the number of protons the atom has in its nucleus and, because each element has a different number of protons, this number determines the element’s identity. Each atom consists of a nucleus, made of protons and neutrons, and outer shells of electrons. What does the atomic mass represent? Read on to find out! Atomic number and atomic massĪlthough atoms are the smallest unit of matter, they are made up of even smaller particles.
