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Article: Elements, Formation of
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- The Gale Encyclopedia of Science
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Elements, Formation of
History
Formation of elements
Manufacturing heavy elements
Resources
Elements are identified by the number of protons in the nuclei of their atoms. For example, an atom having six protons in its nucleus is carbon, and one having 26 protons is iron. There are over 80 naturally occurring elements, with uranium (92 protons) being the heaviest (heavier nuclei have been produced in reactors). Nuclei also contain certain neutrons, usually in numbers greater than the number of protons. The number of neutrons in the atoms of a given element varies.
Heavy elements can be formed from light ones by nuclear fusion reactions; these are nuclear reactions in which atomic nuclei ...