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Chapter 2: Problem 64

For carbon-14 and carbon-12, how many protons and neutrons are in each nucleus? Assuming neutral atoms, how many electrons are present in an atom of carbon-14 and in an atom of carbon-12?

Short Answer

Expert verified
For carbon-14 and carbon-12, each nucleus has 6 protons. Carbon-12 has 6 neutrons while carbon-14 has 8 neutrons. In a neutral atom of each isotope, there are 6 electrons.

Step by step solution

01

Determine the atomic number of carbon

To find the number of protons and electrons, we need to look at the atomic number of carbon. The atomic number is equal to the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom and is also equal to the number of electrons in a neutral atom. Carbon has an atomic number of 6.
02

Calculate the number of neutrons for each isotope

Carbon-14 and carbon-12 are isotopes of carbon, which means they have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons. The number after the element symbol (12 and 14) indicates the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. To find the number of neutrons in each isotope, we subtract the atomic number (number of protons) from the total number of protons and neutrons. For carbon-12: \(14 - 6 = 8 \) For carbon-14: \(12 - 6 = 6 \) So, carbon-12 has 6 neutrons and carbon-14 has 8 neutrons.
03

Determine the number of electrons in a neutral atom for each isotope

In a neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons. Since both isotopes have the same number of protons (6), they will also have the same number of electrons (6).
04

Summary of findings

For carbon-14 and carbon-12, each nucleus has 6 protons. Carbon-12 has 6 neutrons while carbon-14 has 8 neutrons. In a neutral atom of each isotope, there are 6 electrons.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

A binary ionic compound is known to contain a cation with 51 protons and 48 electrons. The anion contains one-third the number of protons as the cation. The number of electrons in the anion is equal to the number of protons plus 1. What is the formula of this compound? What is the name of this compound?

Write the symbol of each atom using the \(\left(_{Z}^{A} X\right)\) format.

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Why is the term “sodium chloride molecule” incorrect whereas the term “carbon dioxide molecule” is correct?

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