Do isotopes have different number of neutrons?

Isotopes are members of a family of an element that all have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. The number of protons in a nucleus determines the element’s atomic number on the Periodic Table.

How do isotopes gain neutrons?

This happens when an atom gains or loses electrons. The number of protons never changes in an atom. More electrons means a negative charge and fewer means a positive charge. If an atom were to gain or lose neutrons it becomes an isotope.

Why are there different number of neutrons?

Isotopes are atoms with the same atomic number (atoms of the same element) that have different mass numbers. They have the same number of protons in the nucleus, but the number of neutrons will not be the same. Adding neutrons to an atom will make it heavier, but that won’t change the chemistry of the atom.

How does neutron number change?

If you change the number of neutrons, you create isotopes. Isotopes are basically just lighter or heavier versions of an average element. In fact, the way we calculate the mass number of a given element on the periodic table is to average the light, medium, and heavy versions of that element.

What are isotopes How do isotopes of a given element differ How are isotopes of a given element similar?

Isotopes of any given element all contain the same number of protons, so they have the same atomic number (for example, the atomic number of helium is always 2). Isotopes of a given element contain different numbers of neutrons, therefore, different isotopes have different mass numbers.

How are isotopes different?

Isotopes. An isotope is one of two or more forms of the same chemical element. Different isotopes of an element have the same number of protons in the nucleus, giving them the same atomic number, but a different number of neutrons giving each elemental isotope a different atomic weight.

Why are isotopes different in the number of neutrons and not protons?

Stability of Isotopes. Atoms need a certain ratio of neutrons to protons to have a stable nucleus. Having too many or too few neutrons relative to protons results in an unstable, or radioactive, nucleus that will sooner or later break down to a more stable form. This process is called radioactive decay.

How do the isotopes of an element differs?

How do isotopes of a given element differ How are the same?

How do isotopes differ from one another examples?

Isotopes are atoms of the same element (same atomic number, ie same number of protons in the nucleus) but different atomic masses (different mass numbers) due to different numbers of neutrons in the nucleus. For example, we may get an isotope of chlorine with 17 protons and 18 neutrons, hence atomic mass 35.