The atomic number of oxygen-16 is 8. This atomic number represents the number of protons found in the nucleus of an oxygen atom. Since oxygen is the eighth element on the periodic table, it has eight protons, which in turn means it also has eight electrons when neutral. The ’16’ in oxygen-16 refers to the atomic mass of this isotope, which is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. Thus, oxygen-16 has 8 protons and 8 neutrons, giving it a total atomic mass of 16.
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