How many isotopes does carbon have?
Quick Answer
Carbon has several isotopes, but the best known are carbon-12, carbon-13, and carbon-14. Only carbon-12 and carbon-13 are stable.
The Full Story
Carbon occurs in multiple isotopes, meaning atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. The most important are carbon-12, carbon-13, and carbon-14. Carbon-12 and carbon-13 are stable isotopes, while carbon-14 is radioactive and decays with a half-life of about 5,730 years. That decay rate makes carbon-14 invaluable in archaeology and geology for dating once-living materials. Carbon’s isotopes are a classic example of how one element can exist in forms with different physical properties but the same chemistry.
Key Facts
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Suggested video title for this topic:
"The carbon atoms that power archaeology"
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