What is an isotopic form of an element?

An isotopic form of an element refers to atoms of that element that exhibit variations in the number of neutrons in their nuclei while maintaining the same number of protons. The number of protons defines the element itself, meaning that even if the number of neutrons changes, the identity of the element remains unchanged. This results in different isotopes of the same element, which may have different physical properties, such as stability and mass, but share chemical properties since they are still the same element.

For instance, carbon has isotopes such as carbon-12 and carbon-14. Both isotopes have six protons, which makes them carbon, but they differ in the number of neutrons—carbon-12 has six neutrons, while carbon-14 has eight. This characteristic of isotopes is fundamental in fields like nuclear chemistry, medicine (like using radioactive isotopes for imaging), and geology (radiocarbon dating).

The other choices do not accurately represent the concept of isotopes. The second option describes an entirely different element scenario and does not involve isotopes. The third option discusses atoms with identical atomic mass but differing charges, which relates more to ions than isotopes. The fourth option refers to ionization, where atoms gain or lose electrons