the total number of neutrons and protons in the nucleus of a particular atom
Symbol: A. Also called: nucleon number
mass number in American English
Physics and Chemistry
the number of neutrons and protons in the nucleus of an atom: the approximate mass of a given nucleus is obtained by multiplying the mass number by the fundamental unit of mass, 1.6605 × 10-24 grams (1⁄12 the mass of C12 atom)