Why do isotopes of an element possess identical chemical properties?
Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons but differing numbers of neutrons. Isotopes of any given element have the same atomic number because they all have the same amount of protons. Because different isotopes of a given element have varying quantities of neutrons, they have various mass numbers. Because they all have the same number of electrons, all isotopes of an element have the same chemical properties. An element's isotopes differ due to the number of neutrons it may contain.
