Your Turn
Knowledge of atomic structure has allowed scientists and engineers to develop nuclear power, which has become an important source of alternative energy. Shown below are models of the nuclei of two atoms. Protons are shown in red and neutrons are shown in grey. Assuming that all of the nucleons are visible, are these atoms of the same element? Explain.
Proton
Neutron
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The atoms both have six protons, so they are both carbon atoms. However, they have differing numbers of neutrons. The atom on the left has six neutrons while the atom on the right has seven.