Mass number number of protons in a nucleus, and thus uniquely identifies an element. Hence, the difference between the mass number and the atomic number gives the number of neutrons ("N") in a given nucleus: . The mass number is written either after the element name or as a superscript to the left of an element's symbol. For example, the most common isotope of carbon is carbon-12, or , which has 6 protons and 6 neutrons. The full isotope symbol would also have the atomic number ("Z") as a subscript to the left of the element symbol directly below the mass number:
Isotope neutron number to atomic number varies the most between isotopes it usually has only a small effect, although it does matter in some circumstances (for hydrogen, the lightest element, the isotope effect is large enough to strongly affect biology). The term "isotopes" (originally also "isotopic elements", now sometimes "isotopic nuclides") is intended to imply comparison (like "synonyms" or "isomers"), for example: the nuclides , , are isotopes (nuclides with the same atomic number but different mass numbers), but , , are isobars (nuclides with the same mass number). However, because "isotope" is the older term, it is better known than