Isotopes are atoms that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

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Multiple Choice

Isotopes are atoms that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Explanation:
Isotopes are atoms of the same element that differ in the number of neutrons, so they keep the same number of protons but have a different total mass. This means the element stays the same because protons define the element, while neutrons can vary. That description—same protons, different neutrons—fits isotopes perfectly. The other ideas point to something else: changing the number of protons would make a different element; different elements with the same mass aren’t about isotopes; a molecule is simply a group of atoms bonded together, not a description of isotope variation within an element.

Isotopes are atoms of the same element that differ in the number of neutrons, so they keep the same number of protons but have a different total mass. This means the element stays the same because protons define the element, while neutrons can vary. That description—same protons, different neutrons—fits isotopes perfectly. The other ideas point to something else: changing the number of protons would make a different element; different elements with the same mass aren’t about isotopes; a molecule is simply a group of atoms bonded together, not a description of isotope variation within an element.

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