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Can two isotopes of the same element have different numbers of protons?

User Ree
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Hey there!

Your answer is no.

The difference between isotopes is the number of neutrons, not the number of protons.

For example, we have carbon-12 and carbon-14, two different isotopes of carbon. One has 6 protons and 6 neutrons, while one has 6 protons and 8 neutrons. They have the same amount of protons.

If you change the number of protons, then you have a different element. Isotopes are the same element.

Hope this helps!

User Joel Spolsky
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