Tömegszámát

Tömegszámát is a Hungarian term that translates to "mass number" in English. It refers to the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom. This quantity is a fundamental characteristic of an atomic nucleus and is often represented by the symbol A. The mass number is crucial for defining an isotope of a chemical element. While the number of protons, known as the atomic number (Z), determines the element itself, variations in the number of neutrons result in different isotopes of that element, each having the same atomic number but a different mass number. For instance, carbon-12 and carbon-14 are isotopes of carbon. Carbon-12 has 6 protons and 6 neutrons, giving it a mass number of 12. Carbon-14 has 6 protons and 8 neutrons, resulting in a mass number of 14. The mass number is typically written as a superscript preceding the element's symbol, such as $^{12}$C and $^{14}$C, or as the element name followed by the mass number, like Carbon-12. Understanding the tömegszámát is essential in nuclear physics and chemistry for calculations involving nuclear reactions, radioactive decay, and atomic mass.