An atom of carbon-14 has 6 protons. How many neutrons does this atom have?

• A. 6 neutrons
• B. 14 neutrons
• C. 12 neutrons
• D. 8 neutrons

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the atomic number of carbon, which is the number of protons in the nucleus. For carbon, this is 6 protons.
2. Understand that the mass number of an isotope is the sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. For carbon-14, the mass number is 14.
3. Use the formula: \( \text{Number of Neutrons} = \text{Mass Number} - \text{Number of Protons} \).
4. Substitute the known values into the formula: \( \text{Number of Neutrons} = 14 - 6 \).
5. Calculate the number of neutrons by performing the subtraction to find the result.