How are the ion and isotope different from the atom?

Ions, Isotopes, and Atoms

Atoms are the basic units of matter that consist of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons and neutrons are located in the nucleus, while electrons orbit around the nucleus in various energy levels.

Ions are atoms that have gained or lost one or more electrons. When an atom gains an electron, it becomes negatively charged and is called an anion. Conversely, when an atom loses an electron, it becomes positively charged and is called a cation.

Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons. This results in isotopes having different atomic masses. For example, carbon-12 and carbon-14 are isotopes of carbon, with carbon-14 having two more neutrons than carbon-12.

The main difference between ions and isotopes is that ions have an extra or lost electron, which changes their charge, while isotopes have different numbers of neutrons, which affects their atomic mass. Atoms, on the other hand, refer to the neutral form of an element that contains an equal number of protons and electrons.