Environmental isotopes
Environmental isotopes are variants of chemical elements that contain the same number of protons but differ in the number of neutrons, resulting in different atomic masses. These isotopes can serve as important tools in environmental science, ecology, geochemistry, and other fields, as they can provide valuable information about various environmental processes, historical climate conditions, and the movement of water and other substances in the environment. Isotopes can be stable or unstable (radioactive).
Isotopes of actinium
Actinium (Ac) has several isotopes, with the most notable being Actinium-227 and Actinium-228. Here are some details about its isotopes: 1. **Actinium-227 (Ac-227)**: - Half-life: About 21.77 years. - Decay mode: It decays to radium-223 via alpha decay.
Isotopes of aluminium
Aluminium has several isotopes, but the most notable and stable isotopes are: 1. **Aluminium-26 (\(^26\text{Al}\))**: This is a radioactive isotope with a half-life of about 730,000 years. It is produced through cosmic ray interactions and is significant in astrophysical studies and in dating geological formations.
Isotopes of americium
Americium (Am) is a synthetic element with the atomic number 95, and it has several isotopes. The most significant isotopes of americium are: 1. **Americium-241 (Am-241)**: This is the most commonly used isotope of americium. It has a half-life of about 432.2 years and is used in smoke detectors, certain types of radiation sources, and in some industrial applications.
Isotopes of antimony
Antimony (Sb) has several isotopes, but the most notable ones are: 1. **\(^{121}\text{Sb}\)**: This is the most stable and abundant isotope of antimony, accounting for about 57% of natural antimony. It has a half-life that is effectively stable as it doesn't undergo radioactive decay. 2. **\(^{123}\text{Sb}\)**: This isotope makes up about 42% of natural antimony and is also stable.
Isotopes of argon
Argon has several isotopes, but the most common ones are: 1. **Argon-36** (¹⁶Ar) - This is a stable isotope and constitutes about 0.34% of natural argon. 2. **Argon-38** (³⁸Ar) - Another stable isotope, making up about 0.06% of natural argon.
Isotopes of arsenic
Arsenic has several isotopes, with the most notable being: 1. **Arsenic-75 (As-75)**: This is the only stable isotope of arsenic and is the most abundant, making up about 100% of naturally occurring arsenic. 2. **Radioactive Isotopes**: Arsenic has several radioactive isotopes, which are not stable and decay over time.
Isotopes of astatine
Astatine is a radioactive element with the atomic number 85. It has several isotopes, most of which are unstable. The known isotopes of astatine range from Astatine-210 to Astatine-218, and they are primarily categorized by their mass numbers. The most significant isotopes include: 1. **Astatine-210 (At-210)**: This isotope has a half-life of about 8.
Isotopes of barium
Barium has several isotopes, which are variants of the element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. The most stable and common isotopes of barium are: 1. **Barium-130 (Ba-130)**: This is the most abundant isotope, comprising about 7.1% of natural barium. 2. **Barium-132 (Ba-132)**: This isotope is also stable and is about 0.
Isotopes of berkelium
Berkelium (Bk) is a synthetic element with atomic number 97 and is part of the actinide series. It has several isotopes, the most notable of which are: 1. **Berkelium-247 (Bk-247)**: This is the most stable and commonly referenced isotope of berkelium, with a half-life of approximately 1,380 days (about 3.8 years).
Isotopes of beryllium
Beryllium has several isotopes, but the most significant ones are: 1. **Beryllium-7 (Be-7)**: This isotope has a mass number of 7 and is a radioactive isotope with a half-life of about 53.1 days. It is produced in the atmosphere through the interaction of cosmic rays with nitrogen and oxygen. Beryllium-7 decays by beta decay into lithium-7.
Isotopes of bismuth
Bismuth (Bi) has several isotopes, but the most notable ones are: 1. **Bismuth-209 (Bi-209)**: This is the most stable and abundant isotope of bismuth, constituting nearly 100% of natural bismuth. It has a half-life of about 1.9 x 10^19 years, making it effectively stable for practical purposes.
Isotopes of bohrium
Bohrium (Bh) is a synthetic element with the atomic number 107. It was first synthesized in 1981 and is named after the physicist Niels Bohr. Currently, several isotopes of bohrium have been produced, but they are all radioactive and have relatively short half-lives. The most notable isotopes of bohrium include: 1. **Bohrium-262 (Bh-262)**: This isotope has a half-life of about 5.6 milliseconds.
Isotopes of boron
Boron has two stable isotopes and several unstable isotopes. The two stable isotopes of boron are: 1. **Boron-10 (¹⁰B)**: This isotope has 5 protons and 5 neutrons, and it constitutes about 19.9% of naturally occurring boron. It is often used in applications such as neutron capture therapy for treating cancer and in various nuclear applications.
Isotopes of bromine
Bromine has several isotopes, but the two most notable ones are: 1. **Bromine-79 (Br-79)**: This is the most stable and abundant isotope of bromine, making up about 50.5% of naturally occurring bromine. It has a half-life that is stable (not radioactive), and it consists of 35 protons and 44 neutrons.
Isotopes of cadmium
Cadmium (Cd) has several isotopes, with the most stable and common ones being: 1. **Cadmium-106 (Cd-106)**: This isotope is stable and has a natural abundance of about 1.25%. 2. **Cadmium-108 (Cd-108)**: Also stable, this isotope has an abundance of about 0.89%. 3. **Cadmium-110 (Cd-110)**: Another stable isotope, it comprises roughly 12.
Isotopes of caesium
Caesium (Cs) has several isotopes, with the most stable and commonly known ones being: 1. **Cs-133**: This is the most stable isotope of caesium and is used as the standard for the definition of the second in the International System of Units (SI). Cs-133 has a half-life of stable, meaning it does not undergo radioactive decay.
Isotopes of calcium
Calcium has several isotopes, which are variants of the element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. The isotopes of calcium are: 1. **Calcium-40 (⁴⁰Ca)** - The most abundant and stable isotope, making up about 97% of naturally occurring calcium. It has 20 protons and 20 neutrons.
Isotopes of californium
Californium (Cf) has several isotopes, of which the most notable are: 1. **Californium-252 (Cf-252)**: This isotope is one of the most prominent, with a half-life of about 2.645 years. It is a powerful neutron emitter and is used in various applications, including neutron radiography, chemotherapy, and as a neutron source in scientific research.
Isotopes of carbon
Carbon has three main isotopes: carbon-12 (\(^{12}\text{C}\)), carbon-13 (\(^{13}\text{C}\)), and carbon-14 (\(^{14}\text{C}\)). Each isotope has the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons, leading to differences in their atomic masses.