The Different Types of Atoms

When an atom gains or loses electrons as often occurs in chemical reactions, it stays the same element because it still has the same number of protons. Negatively charged ions are those that gain electrons and these are called anions. Positively charged ions have lost electrons andThese are called cations. What they do do is make the element heavier or lighter if it has more or less neutrons. These different varieties of the same type of element are called isotopes of that element. You can think of a long chain molecule of carbons where you have an oxygen on the second carbon atom compared to the fifthcarbon atom. So just keep in mind all the different ways that atoms and molecules can