Germanium
Atomic number 32 means that every Germanium nucleus contains 32 protons. That proton count is the element's identity: change it and you no longer have Germanium.
Start with the nucleus
Atomic number 32 means that every Germanium nucleus contains 32 protons. That proton count is the element's identity: change it and you no longer have Germanium.
Germanium (Ge) is chemical element 32. It belongs to the metalloids, 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 fibre optics, semiconductors and infrared optics.
See the atom
Conceptual visual: electron shells are a learning aid, not a literal picture of quantum orbitals.
What this number means
Atomic number 32 means that every Germanium nucleus contains 32 protons. That proton count is the element's identity: change it and you no longer have Germanium.