How do scientists add neutrons to elements to turn them into different elements?
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The element that an atom belongs to is defined by the number of protons it has, not the number of neutrons. An atom with one proton is a hydrogen atom, an atom with two protons is a helium atom, etc. The number of neutrons in an atom can vary without changing the element- for example, a hydrogen atom may have one neutron. Add another neutron and it stays hydrogen, but add a proton and it becomes helium.
The amount of energy it takes to change the number of neutrons or protons in an atom is enormous. If you’re looking at a textbook that phrases something like “adding a proton to hydrogen turns it into helium”, that’s a poorly worded way of asking you to compare the structure a hydrogen and helium atom, not an experiment that can happen in a lab. Changing one element to another typically only takes place at the centre of stars. In fact, to the best of my knowledge, human scientists have NEVER been able to add protons or neutrons to an atom to make it heavier (nuclear fusion). Splitting an atom into smaller elements is easier, however (nuclear fission). This happens in nuclear reactors and nuclear bombs, and consists of smashing atoms into each other until they break apart into smaller atoms.
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