What is the difference between an isomer and an isotope?

Isomers and isotopes are both terms used in chemistry, but they refer to different concepts: 1. **Isomers**: - Isomers are compounds that have the same molecular formula (i.e., the same number and types of atoms) but different structural arrangements or spatial orientations of those atoms. This can lead to different physical and chemical properties. - There are several types of isomers, including: - **Structural isomers**: Compounds that differ in the connectivity of their atoms (e.g., butane and isobutane). - **Stereoisomers**: Compounds that have the same connectivity but differ in the spatial arrangement of atoms (e.g., cis-trans isomers and enantiomers). 2. **Isotopes**: - Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons (and thus the same atomic number) but different numbers of neutrons. This results in different atomic masses for the isotopes of the same element. - For example, carbon has several isotopes, including carbon-12 (with 6 protons and 6 neutrons) and carbon-14 (with 6 protons and 8 neutrons). Both are forms of carbon, but they have different masses and some different properties, particularly in terms of stability (carbon-14 is radioactive). In summary, isomers relate to different structural forms of the same molecular formula, while isotopes refer to different forms of the same element with varying numbers of neutrons.