Children: Isotopes
Mercury has several isotopes, which are varieties of mercury atoms that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. The most stable and commonly occurring isotopes of mercury are: 1. **Mercury-196 (²⁰⁶Hg)**: This is the most abundant isotope, making up about 30.6% of naturally occurring mercury.
Molybdenum (Mo) has several isotopes, which are variations of the element that contain different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei. The most stable and naturally occurring isotopes of molybdenum include: 1. **Molybdenum-92 (^92Mo)**: This isotope has 42 protons and 50 neutrons and is the most abundant isotope of molybdenum, making up about 14.8% of natural molybdenum.
Moscovium (Mc) is a synthetic element with the atomic number 115. As of my last knowledge update in October 2023, there are no stable isotopes of moscovium. The isotopes of moscovium that have been produced in laboratory settings are primarily radioactive and have very short half-lives.
Neodymium (Nd) has several isotopes, with the most stable and significant ones being: 1. **Neodymium-144 (Nd-144)**: This isotope has a half-life of about 2.29 million years and is stable. 2. **Neodymium-145 (Nd-145)**: Another stable isotope with no significant radioactivity. 3. **Neodymium-146 (Nd-146)**: This isotope has a half-life of about 5.
Neon has three stable isotopes: 1. **Neon-20 (¹⁴Ne)**: This is the most abundant isotope, making up about 90.48% of natural neon. It has 10 protons and 10 neutrons. 2. **Neon-21 (¹⁵Ne)**: This isotope is much less common, accounting for about 0.27% of natural neon. It has 10 protons and 11 neutrons.
Neptunium (Np) has several isotopes, with the most notable ones being: 1. **Neptunium-237 (Np-237)**: This is the most stable and prominent isotope of neptunium, with a half-life of about 2.14 million years. It is produced in nuclear reactors and is of interest due to its potential use in nuclear waste management and as a source of plutonium-238.
Neutronium is a hypothetical substance that consists almost entirely of neutrons. It is often discussed in the context of astrophysics and is theorized to be found in the cores of neutron stars, where extreme gravitational pressures force neutrons together in massive quantities. Since neutronium is made up entirely of neutrons, it doesn't have isotopes in the traditional sense as isotopes refer to variants of a chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.
Nihonium (Nh) is a superheavy element with the atomic number 113. As of my last knowledge update in October 2023, nihonium has a few known isotopes, though due to its high instability and short half-lives, they are not found in nature and can only be produced artificially in laboratories.
Niobium (Nb) has several isotopes, but the two most significant ones are: 1. **Niobium-93 (³⁹Nb)**: This is the most stable and abundant isotope of niobium, comprising nearly 100% of naturally occurring niobium. It has a half-life that is effectively infinite in practical terms, and it does not undergo radioactive decay.
Nitrogen has several isotopes, which are atoms of the same element (nitrogen) that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. The most common isotopes of nitrogen are: 1. **Nitrogen-14 (\(^14N\))**: This is the most stable and abundant isotope, making up about 99.6% of natural nitrogen. It has 7 protons and 7 neutrons.
Nobelium (No) is a synthetic element with the atomic number 102. It has no stable isotopes, and its isotopes are all radioactive. The most commonly referenced isotopes of nobelium are: 1. **Nobelium-254 (No-254)**: This is the most stable isotope of nobelium, with a half-life of about 55 minutes.
Oganesson (Og) is a synthetic element with the atomic number 118. It is a member of the noble gases group and is highly unstable, with a very short half-life. As of my last knowledge update in October 2023, only a few isotopes of oganesson have been identified, and they are primarily characterized by their mass numbers.
Osmium (Os) is a chemical element with the atomic number 76, and it has several isotopes, both stable and radioactive. The most notable isotopes of osmium are: 1. **Stable Isotopes:** - **Os-184**: Has a natural abundance of about 0.02%. - **Os-187**: The most abundant stable isotope, constituting about 1.97% of osmium found in nature.
Isotopes of oxygen are variants of the oxygen element that have the same number of protons (which is 8 for oxygen) but differ in the number of neutrons in their atomic nuclei. This difference in neutron number results in different atomic masses. The most common isotopes of oxygen are: 1. **Oxygen-16 (¹⁶O)**: This is the most abundant isotope, making up about 99.76% of natural oxygen.
Palladium (Pd) has a number of isotopes, but the most notable ones are: 1. **Palladium-102 (Pd-102)**: This is a stable isotope of palladium and makes up about 1.02% of natural palladium. 2. **Palladium-104 (Pd-104)**: This isotope is radioactive and has a half-life of about 3.1 hours. It decays primarily by beta decay.
Phosphorus has several isotopes, but the most important ones are: 1. **Phosphorus-31 (\(^31P\))**: This is the only stable isotope of phosphorus and constitutes 100% of naturally occurring phosphorus. It has 15 protons and 16 neutrons. 2. **Radioactive isotopes**: Phosphorus also has several radioactive isotopes, which are produced in laboratory settings or through nuclear reactions.
Platinum has several isotopes, the most stable and naturally occurring ones being: 1. **Platinum-194 (^194Pt)**: This is the most abundant natural isotope of platinum, making up about 32% of natural platinum. 2. **Platinum-195 (^195Pt)**: This isotope accounts for approximately 34% of natural platinum. 3. **Platinum-196 (^196Pt)**: About 25% of natural platinum is in the form of this isotope.
Plutonium (Pu) has several isotopes, with the most notable being: 1. **Plutonium-238 (Pu-238)**: This isotope has a half-life of about 87.7 years and is used in radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) for powering spacecraft.
Polonium is a radioactive element with the symbol Po and atomic number 84. It has several isotopes, of which the most notable include: 1. **Polonium-210 (Po-210)**: This is the most well-known isotope of polonium. It has a half-life of about 138 days and is a potent alpha-emitter. Po-210 has been used in various research applications and has gained notoriety due to its use in poisoning cases.