Carbon-13 is an isotope of carbon. Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons in their nuclei. In the case of carbon, all carbon atoms have six protons, but carbon-13 specifically has seven neutrons. This differentiates it from the more common isotope, carbon-12, which has only six neutrons.
To clarify the terms:
- Cation: A cation is a positively charged ion. It is formed when an atom loses one or more electrons.
- Anion: An anion is a negatively charged ion. It is formed when an atom gains one or more electrons.
- Isotope: An isotope refers to different forms of the same element, having the same number of protons but differing in their neutron count.
Since Carbon-13 does not involve any gain or loss of electrons and only refers to the number of neutrons, it is classified as an isotope rather than a cation or an anion.