Question

What do the numbers listed for an element on the periodic table represent?

A.The smaller number is the number of protons and the greater number is the mass.

B.The smaller number is the number of neutrons and the greater number is the number of protons.

C.The smaller number is the mass and the greater number is the number of protons and electrons.

D.The smaller number is the number of protons and the greater number is the number of neutrons.

Answer 1

Elements in the periodic table are represented in the form \[\begin{matrix}A \\ Z\end{matrix}E \]
where E corresponds to an element.

Z is the number of protons and A is the sum of protons and neutrons.