Carbon
Atomic number 6 means that every Carbon nucleus contains 6 protons. That proton count is the element's identity: change it and you no longer have Carbon.
Start with the nucleus
Atomic number 6 means that every Carbon nucleus contains 6 protons. That proton count is the element's identity: change it and you no longer have Carbon.
Carbon (C) is chemical element 6. It belongs to the nonmetals, and its reference state at room temperature is a solid. Those basic facts are a useful starting point for its chemistry and applications.
In practice, it turns up most often in living molecules, graphite and diamond and composite materials.
See the atom
Conceptual visual: electron shells are a learning aid, not a literal picture of quantum orbitals.
What this number means
Atomic number 6 means that every Carbon nucleus contains 6 protons. That proton count is the element's identity: change it and you no longer have Carbon.