Question

1. the amount of carbon - 14 in ancient artifacts and fossils is often used to establish their age. determine the number of protons and neutrons in a carbon - 14 isotope and write its symbol in the form $_z^a x$.

Explanation:

Step1: Recall atomic number of carbon

Carbon has an atomic number \(Z = 6\). The atomic number is equal to the number of protons. So, the number of protons \(p=6\).

Step2: Calculate number of neutrons

The mass - number \(A\) of carbon - 14 is 14. The mass - number \(A=n + p\), where \(n\) is the number of neutrons and \(p\) is the number of protons. So, \(n=A - p\). Substituting \(A = 14\) and \(p = 6\), we get \(n=14 - 6=8\).

Step3: Write the isotope symbol

The general form of an isotope symbol is \(_Z^A X\), where \(X\) is the chemical symbol of the element, \(A\) is the mass - number and \(Z\) is the atomic number. For carbon - 14, \(X = C\), \(A = 14\) and \(Z = 6\). So the symbol is \(_6^{14}C\).

Answer:

Number of protons: 6, Number of neutrons: 8, Symbol: \(_6^{14}C\)