👉 In the context of chemistry, a protovanadium is a specific type of metal that has high electrical conductivity and is often used in electronic devices. It is named after the chemical formula V4O12, which is the oxide form of vanadium. The word "protovanadium" refers to the fact that it has a low atomic number (Z=4), meaning it has four electrons instead of eight as found in other elements. This makes it more reactive and capable of forming