What does the 14 mean in Carbon-14?
1 Answer
Dec 30, 2015
The 14 in Carbon-14 means that it has 14 nucleons.
Explanation:
An atomic nucleus contains nucleons which are protons and neutrons. The number of protons defines what the element is. All carbon atoms have 6 protons. Therefore, a carbon-14 atom has 14-6=8 neutrons.