ELI5: Okay, so I understand that the number of protons in an atom defines the element. But why are there only 118 of them? Can't we keep on adding protons to an atom to create new elements? Submitted by [deleted] t3_11187pi on February 13, 2023 at 1:27 PM in explainlikeimfive EDIT: Thanks for all the responses! No comments 3