A) What is the role of protons in an atom? b) How do we determine how many protons are in an atom?

The number of electrons, in turn, determines the chemical properties of the atom.

Protons contribute to the mass of an atom and provide the positive charge to the nucleus. The number of protons also determines the identity of the element.

Electrons have a negative charge. Since the atom is electrically neutral, the number of electrons must equal the number of protons.

The electrons arrange themselves in energy levels around the nucleus. The outermost or valence electrons of an atom are the ones that take part in chemical reactions. An element’s chemical properties depend on its valence electrons.

Explanation:

the electron configuration that you gave me has 16 electrons ergo it has 16 protons ergo it is the element sulfur.