Mass number number of protons in a nucleus, and thus uniquely identifies an element. Hence, the difference between the mass number and the atomic number gives the number of neutrons ("N") in a given nucleus: . The mass number is written either after the element name or as a superscript to the left of an element's symbol. For example, the most common isotope of carbon is carbon-12, or , which has 6 protons and 6 neutrons. The full isotope symbol would also have the atomic number ("Z") as a subscript to the left of the element symbol directly below the mass number:
Isotopes of fermium Isotopes of fermium Fermium (Fm) is a synthetic element, and thus a standard atomic weight cannot be given. Like all artificial elements, it has no stable isotopes. The first isotope to be discovered (in fallout from nuclear testing) was Fm in 1952. Fm was independently synthesized shortly after the discovery of Fm. There are 20 known radioisotopes ranging in atomic mass from Fm to Fm (Fm is unconfirmed), and 2 nuclear isomers, Fm and Fm. The longest-lived isotope is Fm with a half-life of 100.5 days, and the longest-lived isomer is Fm with a half-life of 1.8 seconds. Fm? was