Chemical element hydrogen and deuterium). Thus, all carbon isotopes have nearly identical chemical properties because they all have six protons and six electrons, even though carbon atoms may, for example, have 6 or 8 neutrons. That is why the atomic number, rather than mass number or atomic weight, is considered the identifying characteristic of a chemical element. The symbol for atomic number is "Z". Isotopes are atoms of the same element (that is, with the same number of protons in their atomic nucleus), but having "different" numbers of neutrons. Thus, for example, there are three main isotopes of carbon. All carbon atoms
Transuranium element found. Transuranium elements may be utilized to synthesize other super-heavy elements. Elements of the island of stability have potential important military applications, including the development of compact nuclear weapons. The potential every-day applications are vast; the element americium is utilized in devices like smoke detectors and spectrometers. Transuranium element The transuranium elements (also known as transuranic elements) are the chemical elements with atomic numbers greater than 92, which is the atomic number of uranium. All of these elements are unstable and decay radioactively into other elements. Of the elements with atomic numbers 1 to 92, most can be found in