Definition:Carbon

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Chemical Element

Carbon is the chemical element that has $6$ protons in the nuclei of its atoms.

Its chemical symbol is $\text C$.

Isotopes

C-$12$

Carbon-$12$ is the isotope of carbon which has $6$ neutrons in addition to its $6$ protons.

C-$12$ is the most common stable isotope of carbon, making up $98.93 \%$ of the carbon found on Earth.

C-$13$

Carbon-$13$ is the isotope of carbon which has $7$ neutrons in addition to its $6$ protons.

C-$13$ is one of the stable isotopes of carbon, making up $1.06 \%$ of the carbon found on Earth.

C-$14$

Carbon-$14$ is the isotope of carbon which has $8$ neutrons in addition to its $6$ protons.

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.