An atom is an individual particle made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons. We could say “the element Carbon is made up of atoms with six protons and either six, seven, or eight neutrons. ”
Ions are atoms that have lost or gained electrons.
When we talk about the difference between atoms and ions "it's all about the electrons!"
Atoms that have the same atomic number are considered to be the same element. For example, Carbon (C), Gold (Au), or Hydrogen (H). We say “element” we are referring to a category of atoms with the same number of protons. The number of neutrons may differ.
Isotopes are atom of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons and therefore different mass number. Carbon-12, Carbon-13, and Carbon are isotopes of the element Carbon (C).
Protons, Neutrons, & Electrons: https://youtu.be/4PU-2TWEp5E
Intro to Isotopes: https://youtu.be/dBiMh4315Zk
Finding Charge for Ions: https://youtu.be/N4N1Njh7nCo
PhET Web App: https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/build-an-atom/latest/build-an-atom_en.html
