Question

Can an atom of carbon and an atom of oxygen be isotopes? explain your answer.

Answer 1

Isotopes are atoms with the same number of protons but that have a different number of neutrons. Since the atomic number is equal to the number of protons and the atomic mass is the sum of protons and neutrons, we can also say that isotopes are elements with the same atomic number but different mass numbers.

The atom of oxygen and atom of carbon cannot be isotopes as they have different atomic numbers 8 and 6 respectively. As oxygen and carbon have different atomic numbers, they cannot be isotopes as per the definition of isotopes.