Definition:Chemical Element
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Definition
A chemical element is a substance which is composed of atoms of one type.
A chemical element is characterised uniquely by the number of protons it has in the nucleus of its atoms.
Isotope
Isotopes are instances of chemical elements which have the same number of protons in the nuclei of their atoms, but different numbers of neutrons.
Thus it is usual to discuss an isotope of a particular element.
Sources
- 1978: A.P. French and Edwin F. Taylor: An Introduction to Quantum Physics ... (previous) ... (next): $1$: Simple models of the atom: $\text {1-3}$: The Electrical Structure of Matter