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9 (a) Carbon-13 and carbon-14 are isotopes of carbon - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 9 - 2019 - Paper 1
Question 9
9 (a) Carbon-13 and carbon-14 are isotopes of carbon. Nuclei of carbon-13 and carbon-14 can be represented by these symbols \(^{13}_{6}C\) and \(^{14}_{6}C\) Compl... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:9 (a) Carbon-13 and carbon-14 are isotopes of carbon - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 9 - 2019 - Paper 1
Step 1
Complete the table for an atom of carbon-13
Answer
For carbon-13, the atomic number is 6, indicating it has 6 protons. Since the atomic mass is 13, the number of neutrons can be calculated as follows:
Number of neutrons = Atomic mass - Atomic number = 13 - 6 = 7.
Given that carbon has 6 electrons in its neutral state, carbon-13 also has 6 electrons in orbit around the nucleus.
Step 2
Complete the table for an atom of carbon-14
Answer
For carbon-14, the atomic number remains the same at 6. Since the atomic mass is 14, the number of neutrons can be calculated as:
Number of neutrons = Atomic mass - Atomic number = 14 - 6 = 8.
As with carbon-13, carbon-14 also has 6 electrons in orbit around the nucleus, as it is also a neutral atom.
Step 3