Definition:Carbon
Chemical Element
Carbon is the chemical element that has $6$ protons in the nuclei of its atoms.
Its chemical symbol is $\text C$.
Isotopes
$\text {C}$-$12$
Carbon-$12$ is the isotope of carbon which has $6$ neutrons in addition to its $6$ protons.
$\text {C}$-$12$ is the most common stable isotope of carbon, making up $98.93 \%$ of the carbon found on Earth.
$\text {C}$-$13$
Carbon-$13$ is the isotope of carbon which has $7$ neutrons in addition to its $6$ protons.
$\text {C}$-$13$ is one of the stable isotopes of carbon, making up $1.06 \%$ of the carbon found on Earth.
$\text {C}$-$14$
Carbon-$14$ is the isotope of carbon which has $8$ neutrons in addition to its $6$ protons.
$\text {C}$-$14$ is radioactive, with a half-life of $5\,730 \pm 40$ years.
Linguistic Note
The word carbon derives from the Latin: carbo, meaning coal.
