Definition:Atom (Physics)/Nucleus
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Definition
The nucleus of an atom is the relatively dense core at its center.
It consists (to a first degree of approximation) of a number of protons and a similar number of neutrons.
The number of protons determines the nature of the chemical element which consists of aggregations of instances of the atom.
The number of neutrons determines the isotope of the element.
Linguistic Note
The plural form of nucleus is nuclei.
Sources
- 1958: C.A. Coulson: Electricity (5th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $\text {I}$: Preliminary Survey: $\S 1$. Electrostatics