Certainly! Let's analyze each isotope of carbon in detail to determine the number of protons, electrons, and neutrons.
Firstly, the atomic number of carbon is 6. This means that every carbon atom, irrespective of the isotope, has 6 protons.
### Isotope: [tex]\(^{12}_{6}\text{C}\)[/tex]
1. Protons: Since the atomic number (6) indicates the number of protons, [tex]\(^{12}_{6}\text{C}\)[/tex] has 6 protons.
2. Electrons: In a neutral atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons. Therefore, [tex]\(^{12}_{6}\text{C}\)[/tex] has 6 electrons.
3. Neutrons: The mass number (12) is the sum of protons and neutrons. To find the number of neutrons:
[tex]\[
\text{Neutrons} = \text{Mass Number} - \text{Number of Protons} = 12 - 6 = 6
\][/tex]
So, for [tex]\(^{12}_{6}\text{C}\)[/tex], we have:
- Protons: 6
- Electrons: 6
- Neutrons: 6
### Isotope: [tex]\(^{13}_{6}\text{C}\)[/tex]
1. Protons: Again, the atomic number (6) tells us the number of protons. [tex]\(^{13}_{6}\text{C}\)[/tex] also has 6 protons.
2. Electrons: In a neutral atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons. Therefore, [tex]\(^{13}_{6}\text{C}\)[/tex] has 6 electrons.
3. Neutrons: The mass number (13) is the sum of protons and neutrons. To find the number of neutrons:
[tex]\[
\text{Neutrons} = \text{Mass Number} - \text{Number of Protons} = 13 - 6 = 7
\][/tex]
So, for [tex]\(^{13}_{6}\text{C}\)[/tex], we have:
- Protons: 6
- Electrons: 6
- Neutrons: 7
In summary:
- [tex]\(^{12}_{6}\text{C}\)[/tex] has 6 protons, 6 electrons, and 6 neutrons.
- [tex]\(^{13}_{6}\text{C}\)[/tex] has 6 protons, 6 electrons, and 7 neutrons.
