An atom of a carbon-14 isotope would contain:
A)6 protons,8 neutrons,and 6 electrons.
B)8 protons,6 neutrons,and 8 electrons.
C)6 protons,8 neutrons,and 8 electrons.
D)14 protons,6 neutrons,and 6 electrons.
E)20 protons,6 neutrons,and 20 electrons.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Carbon-14 is an isotope of carbon, which means it has the same number of protons as any other form of carbon. Carbon always has 6 protons, which defines it as carbon. The number 14 refers to the atomic mass, which is the sum of protons and neutrons. Therefore, with 6 protons, carbon-14 must have 8 neutrons (14 - 6 = 8) to make up the atomic mass of 14. Since atoms are electrically neutral, the number of electrons equals the number of protons, which is 6.

An Atom of a Carbon-14 Isotope Would Contain