Carbon-12 facts for kids
Carbon-12 (sometimes written as 12C) is a special type of carbon atom. Think of isotopes as different versions of the same element. Carbon-12 is the most common kind of carbon, making up almost 99% of all the carbon found in the world!
It's also one of two stable (meaning it's not radioactive and doesn't break down over time) forms of carbon. The other stable one is called carbon-13.
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What Makes Carbon-12 So Important?
Carbon-12 plays a super important role in chemistry. Scientists use it as a standard to measure the weight of all other atoms. Imagine it like a special measuring stick!
The Atomic Mass Benchmark
In chemistry, every atom has something called a relative atomic mass. This number tells us how heavy an atom is compared to others. For a long time, scientists needed a way to compare these weights accurately. They decided to use Carbon-12 as their perfect reference point.
- The relative atomic mass of Carbon-12 is set to be exactly 12.
- This means that when scientists say another atom has a relative atomic mass of, say, 16, it means that atom is about 1.33 times heavier than a Carbon-12 atom (16 divided by 12).
- This system helps chemists around the world understand and compare different elements and their properties.
Carbon-12 in Our World
Carbon is a basic building block of life, and Carbon-12 is the most common form of it. You can find carbon in everything from the air we breathe (as carbon dioxide) to the food we eat, and even in our own bodies! Because Carbon-12 is so stable and common, it's a fundamental part of how the universe works and how scientists study it.
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Carbono-12 para niños
