Which isotope is more abundant

Both 12 C and 13 C are called stable isotopes since they do not decay into other forms or elements over time. The rare carbon 14 C isotope contains eight neutrons in its nucleus. Unlike 12 C and 13 C, this isotope is unstable, or radioactive. Over time, a 14 C atom will decay into a stable product. The vast majority of all carbon found on Earth is 12 C. Only one out of every trillion carbon atoms is 14 C. To gain an idea of how few 14 C atoms there are compared to 12 C, let's compare one to one trillion.

A trillion is a million millions. If you lined up a trillion one dollar bills, it would stretch almost from the Earth to the sun! The nucleus of each atom contains protons and neutrons. While the number of protons defines the element e. Stable isotopes do not decay into other elements. In contrast, radioactive isotopes e. The less abundant stable isotope s of an element have one or two additional neutrons than protons, and thus are heavier than the more common stable isotope for those elements.

Based on argon's reported atomic mass, which isotope do you think is the most abundant in nature? Chemistry Matter Isotopes. Feb 10, Explanation: The mass of Argon on the periodic table is So, the periodic table's Related questions How would you find the atomic number, atomic mass, protons, neutrons and electrons for ions and