What do the numbers listed for an element on the periodic table represent? The number with a lower value is the mass, and the number with a higher value is the atomic number. The number with a lower value is the number of protons, and the number with a higher value is the mass. The number with a lower value is the number of neutrons, and the number with a higher value is the number of electrons. The number with a lower value is the number of neutrons and protons, and the number with a higher value is the number of electrons.