: Positively charged particles located in the center of the atom (the nucleus). The number of protons determines the identity of the element.
: This is the count of protons in the nucleus. For example, Hydrogen has 1 proton, while Gold has 79. : Positively charged particles located in the center
: Atoms can lose or gain electrons to become ions (charged particles) or vary their number of neutrons to become isotopes of the same element. Hydrogen has 1 proton