Which of the following is the correct nuclear symbol for the isotope of silicon with a mass number of 29?

• A. ^{28}_{14}Si
• B. ^{29}_{13}Si
• C. ^{29}_{14}Si
• D. ^{29}_{15}Si

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the nuclear symbol of an isotope is written as \(^{A}_{Z}X\), where \(A\) is the mass number (total number of protons and neutrons), \(Z\) is the atomic number (number of protons), and \(X\) is the chemical symbol of the element.
2. Identify the element silicon (Si) which has an atomic number \(Z = 14\), meaning every silicon atom has 14 protons.
3. Note that the mass number \(A\) is given as 29, which means the isotope has a total of 29 protons and neutrons combined.
4. Check each option to see if the atomic number matches silicon's atomic number (14) and if the mass number matches 29.
5. Select the nuclear symbol where the mass number is 29 and the atomic number is 14, which correctly represents the isotope of silicon with mass number 29.