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Which is the explanation for the difference between the two isotopes of carbon, C-12 and C-14?

a C-14 contains 2 more protons than does C-12.

b C-14 contains 1 proton and 1 neutron more than does C-12.

c C-14 contains 2 more neutrons than does C-12.

d C-14 contains 2 more electrons than does C-12.

User AndresQ
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The difference between C-12 and C-14 isotopes lies in the number of neutrons; C-14 has 2 more neutrons than C-12. Carbon-12 has six protons and six neutrons, while Carbon-13 has six protons and seven neutrons.

Step-by-step explanation:

The explanation for the difference between the two isotopes of carbon, C-12 and C-14, can be found in their neutron counts. Isotopes are forms of an element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. C-14 contains 2 more neutrons than does C-12, not more protons or electrons, making option c the correct answer for the first question. Specifically, carbon-12 (C-12) contains six protons and six neutrons, while carbon-13 (C-13) contains six protons and seven neutrons, making option a the correct answer to the question of how many neutrons carbon-12 and carbon-13 have, respectively.

User Danila Ladner
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