Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. This results in different atomic masses for the isotopes of an element.
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Isotopes of an element share chemical properties but can have different physical properties due to varying masses.
Stable isotopes do not decay over time, while radioactive isotopes decay and emit radiation.
The presence of isotopes can be detected using mass spectrometry or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
Hydrogen has three common isotopes: protium ($^1H$), deuterium ($^2H$), and tritium ($^3H$).
Isotopic notation includes the element symbol, atomic number, and mass number (e.g., $^{14}C$ for carbon-14).