Which part of an atoms nuclear symbol shows the
number of protons in an atom of that element?

- decrease the number of plants and animals living in the water.

since the atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus, as we move to the left on the periodic table, the electrostatic pull between the nucleus and the valence electron shell decreases. as we move down a group (vertical column), the valence shell energy level gets further and further from the nucleus.