Question
Explain that atomic number is the fundamental property of an element.
Solution
All atoms of the same element have same number of protons in their nuclei. Therefore, atoms of the same elements have same atomic number. However, atoms of different elements have different atomic numbers because their nuclei have different number of protons. Thus, atomic number of each element has certain characteristic value and no two elements have the same atomic number. Therefore, atomic number of an element is a fundamental property.
