How can carbon-14 be converted to carbon-12?

1 Answer
Ed Hitchcock
Jan 19, 2016

It can't.

Explanation:

Carbon 14 (or #""^14C#) is an unstable isotope of carbon with 8 neutrons instead of the typical 6.

When #""^14C# decays, it does so by beta decay, releasing a beta particle as one neutron becomes a proton. The product of the decay of #""^14C# is nitrogen, #""^14N#.

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