[Campbell Biology P.80] Based on the provided text about isotopes, which statement about ca... | Practice Question
Based on the provided text about isotopes, which statement about carbon isotopes is FALSE?
A: All three naturally occurring carbon isotopes (¹²C, ¹³C, and ¹⁴C) have 6 protons.
B: The most common carbon isotope, ¹²C, has 6 neutrons.
C: The isotope ¹³C has more neutrons than ¹²C.
D: Despite having slightly different masses, carbon isotopes behave chemically differently due to their varying neutron counts.
E: ¹⁴C is an unstable, radioactive isotope, while ¹²C and ¹³C are stable.
Explanation
The text explicitly states: 'Although the isotopes of an element have slightly different masses, they behave identically in chemical reactions.' This means their chemical behavior is not different due to varying neutron counts.