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| | Encyclopedia :: encyclopedia : Atomic nucleus (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-31) |
 | | The nucleus (atomic nucleus) is the center of an atom. |
| | The number of protons in an atomic nucleus is called the atomic number, and determines which chemical element the atom is. For example, a nucleus with one proton (which is the only nucleus that may have no neutrons) constitutes an atom of hydrogen, with six protons, carbon, or with eight, oxygen. |
| | A heavy nucleus can contain hundreds of nucleons (neutrons and protons), which means that to some approximation it can be treated as a classical system, rather than a quantum-mechanical one. |
| www.hallencyclopedia.com /Atomic_nucleus (911 words) |
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