There is only one atomic number for each element. Why is there more than one atomic mass for each element?
The atomic mass is the average of various isotopes of each element.
The answer is neutrons! Elements are determined by the number of protons residing within the nucleus, these protons are positively charged (+1) and will attract an equal number of electrons (-1) to balance this charge. The electrons will hang around on the surface of the atom and will determine the electronic interaction with other species (this is chemistry) . However neutrons can also reside within the nucleus. Neutrons weigh about he same as protons but have no charge and do not affect the chemical reaction, . As it turns out atoms can be stable(or unstable) with a range of number of neutrons. These are called different isotopes of the element.
Due to presence of isotopes.
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