key term - Carbon-12

Definition

Carbon-12 is the most common isotope of carbon, with 6 protons and 6 neutrons in its nucleus.

Related terms

Isotopes:

Variants of a particular chemical element which differ in neutron number, and consequently in nucleon number.

Atomic Number:

The number of protons found in the nucleus of an atom, which determines the chemical properties of an element and its place in the periodic table.

Nucleus:

The central part of an atom that contains protons and neutrons.