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General | |
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Symbol | 12C |
Names | carbon-12, 12C, C-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;[1] 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.