What determines an atom’s identity?(1 point)

Responses

the valence number
the valence number

the number of protons
the number of protons

the number of neutrons
the number of neutrons

the number of electrons

1 answer

The atom's identity is determined by the number of protons. This is because the number of protons in an atom's nucleus defines which element it is. For example, an atom with one proton is hydrogen, while an atom with six protons is carbon.