While the lighter isotopes 12C and 13C are stable, the heaviest isotope 14C (radiocarbon) is radioactive. This means its nucleus is so large that it is unstable. Over time 14C decays to nitrogen (14N). Most 14C is produced in the upper atmosphere where neutrons, which are produced by cosmic rays, react with 14N atoms.

Does carbon-14 have a stable nucleus?

Because carbon-14 has six protons, it is still carbon, but the two extra neutrons make the nucleus unstable. In order to reach a more stable state, carbon-14 releases a negatively charged particle from its nucleus that turns one of the neutrons into a proton.

Is C 15 stable or radioactive?

List of isotopesNuclideZDecay mode13C6Stable14C6β−15C6β−21 more rows

Does carbon have a stable nucleus?

Isotopes of Carbon Both 12C and 13C are called stable isotopes since they do not decay into other forms or elements over time. The rare carbon-14 (14C) isotope contains eight neutrons in its nucleus. Unlike 12C and 13C, this isotope is unstable, or radioactive. Almost 99% of all carbon on Earth is of this form.

Who discovered carbon 14 dating?

Willard Libby Radiocarbon dating/Inventors Chemist Willard Libby first realized that carbon-14 could act like a clock in the 1940s. He won the 1960 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for coming up with the method.

Is Al 28 radioactive?

Aluminium-28 atom is the radioactive isotope of aluminium with relative atomic mass 27.981910 and half-life of 2.25 min.

How do you know if a nucleus is stable?

The principal factor for determining whether a nucleus is stable is the neutron to proton ratio. Elements with (Z<20) are lighter and these elements nuclei and have a ratio of 1:1 and prefer to have the same amount of protons and neutrons.

Is aluminum a radioactive?

Aluminum is nontoxic (as the metal) nonmagnetic and non-sparking. Aluminum has only one naturally occurring isotope, aluminium-27, which is not radioactive.

Is aluminum a stable element?

Aluminums only stable form is Al-27, and most isotopes have half-lives of mere milliseconds, meaning they are gone in less than a blink of an eye. But Al-26, aluminums longest-lasting radioactive isotope, has a half-life of about 730,000 years.

What does it mean when a nucleus is stable?

Nuclear stability Nuclear stability means that the nucleus of an element is stable and thus it does not decay spontaneously emitting any kind of radioactivity. Those nuclei with the highest binding energy per nucleon are the most stable with respect to destructive nuclear reactions.