Why Are Smaller Nuclei Such as Carbon-14 Often Radioactive? (Carbon-12

question 23

Multiple Choice

Why are smaller nuclei such as carbon-14 often radioactive? (carbon-12 is the most common and most stable form of carbon.)

• A)The attractive force of the nucleons has a limited range.
• B)The isolated neutron is not stable and will undergo spontaneous transformation into a proton and an electron.
• C)Hmmm...mysterious are the ways of the force.
• D)both A and B
• E)none of the above

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Definitions:

Whole Number Skills

The ability to understand, use, and manipulate whole numbers, encompassing skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Reversibility

The ability to recognize that objects can change form or condition and return to their original form or condition.

Seriation

The cognitive ability to arrange objects in an order according to size, shape, or any other characteristic, which is a key aspect of logical thinking in children.

Long-Term Memory

The aspect of memory concerned with the storage of information over an extended period, potentially for a lifetime.