Carbon-11

[emidesu]

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When I took the August MCAT there was a reference to carbon-11, something I had never heard of. I have looked it up on the web, but still don't get it. Can someone explain it to me in terms of the elementary particles and decay?

 

[ASDIC]

maybe they are just theorizing about its existence.

Lets consider Carbon-11
Number of neutrons = 5
Number of protons = 6 (stays constant)

Since number of neutrons is less than the protons; there is an excess of protons in the system. So the nucleus would be unstable; causing a conversion of a proton to a neutron by positron emission.

A positron is a massless particle that has a positive charge. So,
number of protons decreases by 1 and and the atomic mass stays constant.

Carbon-11 becomes elemental boron.

 

[emidesu]

That would have been my guess. Thanks.