Element numbers: 21 sourced records

What this topic measures

The atomic number is the number of protons in a nucleus. It defines the element. The unit is protons. This topic uses ratio scoring: a value half the target and a value twice the target are equally far away, so think in multiplicative bands rather than fixed steps.

A record is a named row in the frozen catalog, not necessarily a unique entity. Some topics contain several records with the same value, and a name round accepts any record at the closest distance. The table below is the complete answer set for this topic; there is no hidden shortlist.

All 21 records

Every row links to the original source used for that record. Values are rounded for display only; the scoring engine uses the stored source value. The snapshot date and unit are part of the topic’s definition, so a current live figure may differ.

The table has 21 rows, one for each accepted record. It does not list every alias or spelling variant; the game’s name matcher handles those at answer time. If two records share a value, both remain separate rows.

The range and the gaps

The 21 records run from 1 proton to 92 protons. The median is 14 protons, with a middle half from 8 protons to 29 protons. The largest adjacent gap is 32 protons between Silver and Gold. Every record has a distinct value in this snapshot.

The highest listed records are Uranium (92 protons), Lead (82 protons), Gold (79 protons). The lowest are Hydrogen (1 proton), Helium (2 protons), Lithium (3 protons). Use these as anchors before you make a ratio or year estimate; the table below gives every value.

What the table does not tell you

These are single snapshot values in protons for 21 familiar chemical elements · proton count. The table is not a time series, a range of typical values or a measure of uncertainty. A source can round, revise or use a different definition in a later release; the game uses the stored snapshot for every score. Read the source and the record label before treating a value as a current live measurement.

How to estimate this topic

Element numbers are proton counts, not atomic masses. Hydrogen is 1, carbon is 6, oxygen is 8, and familiar heavy elements sit much higher. Use 1, 10, 50 and 100 as bands; do not confuse an element’s number with its rounded atomic weight.

For a method that applies across topics, see the estimation guide. To practise this topic without changing a daily result, open the practice setup for Element numbers. The setup opens first; it does not start a clock automatically.

Recent daily use

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Source, licence and snapshot

The listed source is American Chemical Society · Periodic Table ↗. Snapshot: 2026-10-24. Licence / attribution: "See source".

We select and transform source records for independently written game rules. The source material remains subject to its original licence. If a value looks wrong, send the topic, record, expected value and source through the contact form; do not send passwords or account credentials.

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