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The Atomic Mass is approximately the sum of the number of protons and neutrons.

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Q: The atomic mass refers to the number of what?
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What is atomic mass and the number of calcium?

Calcium has atomic number of 20, an atomic weight of 40.078 and an mass numbers of 40 - 48 inclusive in its isotopes. Atomic number is the count of protons in the nucleus. Mass number is the count of protons plus neutrons. The question refers to atomic mass rather than atomic weight. Atomic mass normally refers to the mass of a specific isotope of an element and is related to the mass number. Atomic weight ( or relative atomic mass as it is termed by IUPAC) the average mass of naturally occurring isotopes of an element. The relationship between mass number and atomic mass is defined in terms of the Atomic mass unit which is in simple terms 1/12 of the mass of a 12C atom. If you need to find out more about the relationship between mass number and and atomic mass you need to read the article "atomic mass unit" in wikipedia.


The atomic number refers to the number of what in an atom?

Z, or the atomic number, represents the number of protons in a element as opposed to A, which is the mass number, the number of protons and neutrons.


Is mass number the same as atomic number?

No. Atomic number refers to the number of protons present in the nucleus of the atom whereas mass number refers to the sum of the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. For example, the isotope lithium-6 has an atomic number of 3 (for 3 protons) and a mass number of 6 (for 3 protons and 3 neutrons).


An explination of what mass number and atomic number are?

The atomic number refers to the number of protons in the element. And since the number of protons = number of electrons, the atomic number is also the number of electrons in the element. The mass number of an element refers to the number of neutrons and protons in the element. &since electrons are negligible in mass, the number of neutrons can be found out by subtracting the atomic number from the mass number. Take for example, oxygen. Oxygen has an atomic number of 8 and a mass number of 16. Hence, from the atomic number it can be derived that it has: 8 electrons 8 protons While from the mass number, it can be derive that it has: 16-8 = 8 neutrons


Why is the atomic mass of an element not a whole number while the atomic number is?

The atomic number refers to the number of protons in the atom. Since the proton cannot be an in-between number, the atomic number will have to be a whole number. On the other hand, the atomic mass does not have to be a whole number because it is the mass of an atom and is roughly equivalent to the number of protons plus the average number of neutrons in that particular element.


If atomic mass of 16 and atomic number of 8 this means the number of neutrons in this type of oxygen is?

The atomic number refers to the number of protons in an element. The mass number can be used to indicate the number of neutrons because both protons and neutrons have a mass of about 1. An oxygen atom has 8 protons and 8 neutrons.


What is Carbon-12 atomic mass?

12. The number 12 refers to the atomic mass. More precisely, to the sum of neutrons + protons; but this is usually close to the atomic mass. In the case of carbon-12, it is exact, by definition.


Is it true The number of neutrons in an atom is referred to as the atomic number of that element?

No, the atomic number refers to the protons of an atom, and for the most part the electrons. The atomic mass refers to the neutrons of an element in a way; the atomic mass consists of protons and neutrons, so if you subtract the amount of protons from the atomic mass, you get the amount of neutrons. For example oxygen has an average atomic mass of 16.01 and has 8 protons, so 16.01 atomic mass-8 protons=8.01 average neutrons. Now this is just for the average amount of neutrons, which is changed by isotopes (atoms with different amounts of neutrons).


What element is S?

S refers to Sulphur element.It has atomic number of 16. It has atomic mass of 32.06.


What is the difference between the atomic number mass number and atomic mass?

We can find Atomic Mass and mass number in chemical elements. Atomic mass is about weight of the atom. Mass number is about total of neutrons and protons.


What is the difference between mass number atomic mass and atomic number?

We can find atomic mass and mass number in chemical elements. Atomic mass is about weight of the atom. Mass number is about total of neutrons and protons.


What is the atomic mass number of krypton?

83.98 amu is the Atomic Mass, 36 is the atomic number.