Carbon-12

Carbon-12, 12C
General
Symbol12C
Namescarbon-12, 12C, C-12
Protons (Z)6
Neutrons (N)6
Nuclide data
Natural abundance98.93%
Isotope mass12 Da
Spin0
Excess energy0.0 keV
Binding energy92161.753±0.014 keV
Parent isotopes12N
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.

  1. ^ "Table of Isotopic Masses and Natural Abundances" (PDF). 1999.