⚛️Isotope vs Isomer🧩
Isotope and isomer sound alike but describe different things: one is about atoms, the other about molecules.
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⚛️Isotope
- ✓Atoms of the same element
- ✓Same protons, different neutrons
- ✓Different mass numbers
- ✓Identical chemical behavior
- ✓Examples: carbon-12 and carbon-14
🧩Isomer
- ✓Compounds with the same molecular formula
- ✓Different arrangement of atoms
- ✓Different chemical or physical properties
- ✓Includes structural and stereoisomers
- ✓Examples: butane and isobutane
Verdict
Isotopes are variants of a single atom differing in neutrons; isomers are different molecules sharing one formula. Don't confuse the atomic and molecular concepts.
Frequently asked
What do isotopes have in common?+
They are atoms of the same element with identical proton count but different neutron numbers.
Do isomers behave the same?+
No. Isomers share a formula but differ in structure, so their properties usually differ.
Is the difference atomic or molecular?+
Isotopes are an atomic-level concept; isomers are a molecular-level concept.
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