Carbon-12
| General | |
|---|---|
| Symbol | 12C |
| Names | carbon-12 |
| Protons (Z) | 6 |
| Neutrons (N) | 6 |
| Nuclide data | |
| Natural abundance | 98.93% |
| Isotope mass | 12 Da |
| Spin | 0 |
| Excess energy | 0.0 keV |
| Binding energy | 92161.753±0.014 keV |
| Parent isotopes | 12N 12B |
| Isotopes of carbon Complete table of nuclides | |
Carbon-12 (12C) is the most abundant of the two stable isotopes of carbon (carbon-13 being the other), amounting to 98.93% of element carbon on Earth; its abundance is due to the triple-alpha process by which it is created in stars. Carbon-12 is of particular importance in its use as the standard from which atomic masses of all nuclides are measured, thus, its atomic mass is exactly 12 daltons by definition. Carbon-12 is composed of 6 protons, 6 neutrons, and 6 electrons.