Which term describes the forms of the same element that contain equal numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons?

Which term describes the forms of the same element that contain equal numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons?

• A. Acid
• B. Base
• C. Isotopes
• D. Toxicology

Answer: (C)

Isotopes are the forms of the same element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. The proton count defines the element, so all isotopes of carbon, for example, have six protons, but their neutrons vary, giving mass numbers like 12, 13, or 14. This difference in neutrons changes mass and stability but leaves most chemical properties similar because those properties are governed mainly by electrons and proton count. The other terms describe unrelated concepts: acids and bases refer to proton-donating or accepting behavior in reactions, while toxicology is the study of harmful effects of substances on living organisms.

Isotopes are the forms of the same element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. The proton count defines the element, so all isotopes of carbon, for example, have six protons, but their neutrons vary, giving mass numbers like 12, 13, or 14. This difference in neutrons changes mass and stability but leaves most chemical properties similar because those properties are governed mainly by electrons and proton count. The other terms describe unrelated concepts: acids and bases refer to proton-donating or accepting behavior in reactions, while toxicology is the study of harmful effects of substances on living organisms.