Carbon isotopes

GCSE · Combined Science · AQA · P4.1 — Atoms and isotopes: atomic structure, mass and atomic numbers and the development of the model of the atom

Question

Carbon-12 (¹²C) and Carbon-14 (¹⁴C) are isotopes of carbon.

(a) What do both atoms have in common? [1] (b) How do they differ? [1] (c) Carbon-14 is used in radiocarbon dating. Suggest why carbon-12 is not used for this purpose. [1]

3 marks · take your time before peeking.

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