Why is atomic number is more important than atomic weight in predicting the chemical properties of elements?
Atomic number is that the number of protons in an atom and through a reaction the number of protons remains unchanged. Atomic number also gives number of electrons. Electrons are present in shell which participate in chemical reactions and decides chemical properties. Whereas relative atomic mass is that the sum of number of protons and number of neutrons so number is more important in predicting the chemical properties of elements.
