What do an orgasm, a multiplication problem and a photo of a dead body have in common? Each induces a slight, irrepressible expansion of the pupils in our eyes, giving careful observers a subtle but meaningful signal that thoughts and feelings are afoot. For more than a century, scientists have known that our pupils respond to more than changes in light.
Review. 1  Atoms have their electrons arranged in layers called shells. 2  In order to maintain electrical balance the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons in most elements.
The atomic number of an element is equal to the number of protons in each atom, and defines the element. For example, all carbon atoms contain 6 protons in their atomic nucleus; so the atomic number of carbon is 6.