ISPH Nuclear Energy Practice Test 2026 – All-in-One Study Resource to Master Your Exam!

The notation with the mass number on the top left and the atomic number on the bottom left next to the element symbol is standard isotopic notation. It communicates two crucial facts: A is the mass number (the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus) and Z is the atomic number (the number of protons, which identifies the element). The element symbol alone tells you which element it is, and pairing it with A and Z specifies a particular isotope. For example, carbon-14 is written as ^14_6C, showing A = 14 and Z = 6 together with the symbol C. This is the conventional way to denote isotopes. Other terms like isotopic labeling refer to tagging substances for tracking, not the general notation; while “nuclear symbol” is a possible label, the standard term used in practice is isotopic notation.