Question

What is the significance of the number of protons found in the atoms of different elements?

Answer 1

The number of protons in the nucleus of every atom of a chemical element is known as the atomic number or proton number (symbol Z). A chemical element's atomic number is the only way to identify it. It is the same as the nucleus' charge number. The atomic number is also equivalent to the number of electrons in an uncharged atom.

Complete answer:
A proton is a subatomic particle with the symbol p and a mass slightly less than a neutron. It has a positive electric charge of +1e elementary charge and a mass slightly less than a neutron. Protons and neutrons, each with a mass of around one atomic mass unit, are referred to together as "nucleons" (particles present in atomic nuclei).
Every atom has one or more protons in its nucleus; they are an essential component of the nucleus. The atomic number refers to the number of protons in the nucleus, which is the distinguishing feature of an element (represented by the symbol Z). Because each element has a different amount of protons, it has a different atomic number.
An element is a pure material made up entirely of atoms with the same number of protons in their atomic nuclei, as defined by chemistry. Chemical elements, unlike chemical compounds, cannot be broken down chemically into simpler molecules. The atomic number (represented by the symbol Z) is the defining feature of an element; all atoms with the same atomic number are atoms of the same element.

Note:
Atomic numbers are commonly used to describe the search for new elements. All elements with atomic numbers 1 to 118 have been discovered as of 2021. New elements are produced by hitting target atoms of heavy elements with ions until the sum of the atomic numbers of the target and ion elements matches the atomic number of the new element. In general, as the atomic number grows, the half-life of a nuclide decreases, however undiscovered nuclides with specific "magic" numbers of protons and neutrons may have longer half-lives and form a stable island.