Nuclear Physics: Nuclear Structure

Components of the nucleus - nucleons Protons - positively charged nucleons Neutrons - electrically neutral nucleons

Atomic number (Z): The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom Each element has a unique atomic number Mass number (A): The number of protons & neutrons in the nucleus of an atom

The periodic table of the elements contains all the elements in order of increasing atomic number They are arranged into sections based on what type of element they are, e.g. the middle section is made up of transition metals

Isotopes: Atoms of the same atomic number but different mass number, i.e. they have either lost or gained neutrons Isotopes of an atom are very similar in their chemical behaviour, as that is mainly determined by electronic structure

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