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Any atom heavier than 12.01 will necessarily contain more nuclear particles (protons and neutrons) than the carbon-12 atom.

Question

Any atom heavier than 12.01 will necessarily contain more nuclear particles (protons and neutrons) than the carbon-12 atom.

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Solution

The statement is true. Carbon-12 (12C^{12}\text{C}) is an isotope of carbon and has a mass number of 12, which means it consists of 6 protons and 6 neutrons (the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus).

  1. Understanding Atomic Mass: The atomic mass of an element is determined by the number of protons and neutrons in its nucleus. Each proton and neutron contributes approximately one atomic mass unit (amu).

  2. Implication for Heavier Atoms: An atom heavier than carbon-12 must have an atomic mass greater than 12 amu. Since atomic mass is a sum of protons and neutrons, this means that the heavier atom must contain more protons, more neutrons, or a combination of both.

  3. Nuclear Particles Definition: Nuclear particles include protons and neutrons collectively. Therefore, any atom with an atomic mass exceeding that of carbon-12 must indeed contain more nuclear particles because a heavier atomic mass necessitates additional protons and/or neutrons.

In summary, any atom with an atomic mass greater than 12.01 will necessarily have more nuclear particles than carbon-12, confirming the validity of the statement.

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