How do isotopes of an element differ?

Isotopes are atoms of the same element. Remember that an atom is made up of three important components: neutrons, protons, and electrons. Isotopes of an element will contain the same number of protons and electrons but will differ in the number of neutrons they contain. read more

Many of the elements found in nature comprise a mixture of different isotopes. The most stable isotopes of elements are those with roughly equal amounts of protons and neutrons. If the number of neutrons is too low or too high, the isotope becomes unstable. read more

Isotopes of an element will contain the same number of protons and electrons but will differ in the number of neutrons they contain. In other words, isotopes have the same atomic number because they are the same element but have a different atomic mass because they contain a different number of neutrons. read more