Which of the following best describes the difference in atomic structure between carbon-12 and carbon-14?

• A. Carbon-14 has two more neutrons than carbon-12.
• B. Carbon-12 and carbon-14 have different numbers of protons.
• C. Carbon-14 has two more protons than carbon-12.
• D. Carbon-12 has two more electrons than carbon-14.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that isotopes of an element have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.
2. Identify that carbon-12 and carbon-14 are isotopes of carbon, so both have the same number of protons, which is 6.
3. Determine the number of neutrons by subtracting the number of protons from the mass number: for carbon-12, neutrons = 12 - 6 = 6; for carbon-14, neutrons = 14 - 6 = 8.
4. Compare the neutrons in carbon-12 and carbon-14 to find the difference: carbon-14 has 2 more neutrons than carbon-12.
5. Conclude that the key difference in atomic structure between carbon-12 and carbon-14 is the number of neutrons, not protons or electrons.