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

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