Home › Questions › Why is carbon 12 an isotope?
isotopes are defined as having a different number of protons to neutrons, but carbon-12 has the same number yet is an isotope. Why?
How's that again? Anything with 12 protons is carbon. Only certain combinations of protons and neutrons are stable, so carbon atoms with different numbers of neutrons are called isotopes. Not what you said.
But I thought an isotope was anything where the neutron number is different to the proton number?
Nope.
You must sign in to view your friends.
But I thought an isotope was anything where the neutron number is different to the proton number?