E mass number of any given atom depends solely on the number of protons and neutrons in its nucleus. The mass number of any atom can be determined by adding the number of protons and neutrons. (Mathematically this is stated as Mass Number = Protons + Neutrons). For instance, a Carbon atom with 6 protons and 6 neutrons will have a mass number of 12AMU. However, a Carbon atom with 6 protons and 8 Neutrons will have a mass number of 14AMU. They are both Carbon atoms, however they each have a different mass number. Atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons, and therefore, different mass numbers, are called isotopes. Isotopic symbols are used to indicate isotopes of the same elements. In the following isotopic symbols the lower number is the atomic number…it is the number of protons. The upper number is the mass number, it represents to sum of the protons and neutrons in the atoms nucleus.
