Question

Atoms of the same element can have different forms; for example, carbon-12 and carbon-14.

What causes the different forms?


What are these forms called?

Answer 1

A carbon-12 atom has 6 protons (6P) and 6 neutrons (6N). But some types of carbon have more than six neutrons. We call forms of elements that have a different number of neutrons, isotopes. For example, carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon that has six protons and eight neutrons in its nucleus.
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