elements

• Elements


  Atoms that come in a variety of types, each with a unique set of physical and chemical properties
• Atomic number


  The number of protons in an atom's nucleus, which defines the element
• The periodic table organizes the elements by atomic number and provides other key information about them such as their names and chemical symbols
• All elements above uranium are considered artificial
• Neptunium (93) and plutonium (94) should also count as natural because they occur in the tiniest traces in some minerals
• Technetium (43) is considered artificial, but even so, tiny amounts of it occur in certain minerals
• Periodic table


  Organized by atomic number, with elements in the same column having similar properties
• Chemical symbols are one or two letter abbreviations for elements, often based on the element's name
• The periodic table contains an element's atomic number, chemical symbol, and name
• Knowing one piece of information about an element (atomic number, symbol, or name) allows you to find the other details on the periodic table
• Isotopes

  Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons
• Isotopes

  • Since isotopes of an element have different numbers of neutrons, they also have different masses
  • The sum of the number of neutrons and protons in an atom is called its mass number
• Isotope notation


  Isotopes can be represented in writing using isotope notation
• All elements have isotopes
• Isotopes exist

  Due to processes like stellar nucleosynthesis in stars and interactions between cosmic rays and atmospheric nuclei
• Carbon-12 is the most abundant isotope of carbon, accounting for about 98.9% of natural carbon
• Carbon-13 makes up about 1.1% of natural carbon, and carbon-14 is present in trace amounts
• The atomic number defines the chemical element, as it is determined by the number of protons in the nucleus
• Elements that are not found naturally on Earth, but can be synthesized in a laboratory or other controlled environment through various processes.