Question

Will SC12 and SC14 have the same shape as CH4? Explain your
answer.

Answer 1

Answer:

Carbon-12 and carbon-14 are two isotopes of the element carbon. The difference between carbon-12 and carbon-14 is the number of neutrons in each of their atoms.

This is how this works. The number given after the atom name indicates the number of protons plus neutrons in an atom or ion. Atoms of both isotopes of carbon contain 6 protons. Atoms of carbon-12 have 6 neutrons, while atoms of carbon-14 contain 8 neutrons. A neutral atom would have the same number of protons and electrons, so a neutral atom of carbon-12 or carbon-14 would have 6 electrons.

Although neutrons do not carry an electrical charge, they have a mass comparable to that of protons, so different isotopes have different atomic weight. Carbon-12 is lighter than carbon-14.