Which of the following correctly represents the symbol for an atom of carbon with atomic number 6 and mass number 14?

• A. ^{12}_{6}C
• B. ^{6}_{14}C
• C. ^{14}_{6}C
• D. ^{14}_{7}C

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the notation for representing an atom: the general form is \(^{\text{mass number}}_{\text{atomic number}}\text{Element symbol}\).
2. Identify the atomic number, which is the number of protons in the nucleus. For carbon, the atomic number is 6, so the subscript should be 6.
3. Identify the mass number, which is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. Here, the mass number is given as 14, so the superscript should be 14.
4. Combine these values with the element symbol for carbon, which is 'C', to write the correct symbol as \(^{14}_{6}C\).
5. Verify that the other options either have incorrect atomic numbers or mass numbers, confirming that \(^{14}_{6}C\) is the correct representation.