Lesson 3Beginner~6 min
Neutrons and Isotopes
Same element, different mass: how neutron count creates isotopes like carbon-12 and carbon-14.
isotopesneutronsstability
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Concept
Same element, different mass
Protons define the element — but neutrons are more flexible. Two atoms can both be carbon (6 protons each) yet carry different numbers of neutrons.
These variants are called isotopes: same element, same chemistry, different mass.