What are protons and neutrons collectively known as?

Protons and neutrons are collectively known as nucleons. This term is used because both protons and neutrons are found in the nucleus of an atom, and they are the particles that contribute to the atomic mass. Nucleons play a crucial role in determining the stability and identity of an atom.

Electrons, on the other hand, are not included in this term as they reside in the cloud surrounding the nucleus and have a significantly lower mass compared to nucleons. Isotopes refer to variants of elements with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, which reflects the different forms of the same element rather than a classification of protons and neutrons together. Orbitals are regions in an atom where electrons are likely to be found, and thus they do not relate to protons and neutrons. This makes nucleons the accurate term that describes protons and neutrons together.