The atomic number of an element is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom of that element. Each element has a unique atomic number, which is used to identify the element. For example, the atomic number of hydrogen is 1, the atomic number of helium is 2, and the atomic number of germanium is 32.

The number of electrons in an atom of an element is equal to the atomic number of that element. So, since germanium has an atomic number of 32, it has 32 electrons.