Cadmium has eight naturally occurring isotopes. What do these isotopes have in common?

• A. They all have the same mass number.
• B. They all have the same number of neutrons.
• C. They all have the same number of electrons and neutrons.
• D. They all have the same number of protons.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand what an isotope is: Isotopes of an element have the same number of protons but differ in the number of neutrons.
2. Recall that the number of protons defines the element's identity and is called the atomic number.
3. Recognize that the mass number is the sum of protons and neutrons, so isotopes have different mass numbers.
4. Note that electrons can vary in ions, but isotopes specifically refer to atoms with the same proton count regardless of electrons.
5. Conclude that all isotopes of cadmium share the same number of protons, which is why they are all cadmium atoms.