The standard atomic weight of a chemical element (symbol Ar°(E) for element "E") is the weighted arithmetic mean of the relative isotopic masses of all isotopes of that element weighted by each isotope's abundance on Earth. For example, isotope 63Cu (Ar = 62.929) constitutes 69% of the copper on Earth, the rest being 65Cu (Ar = 64.927), so
Because relative isotopic masses are dimensionless quantities, this weighted mean is also dimensionless. It can be converted into a measure of mass (with dimension M) by multiplying it with the dalton, also known as the atomic mass constant.
Among various variants of the notion of atomic weight (Ar, also known as relative atomic mass ) used by scientists, the standard atomic weight (Ar°) is the most common and practical. The standard atomic weight of each chemical element is determined and published by the Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights (CIAAW) of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) based on natural, stable, terrestrial sources of the element. The definition specifies the use of samples from many representative sources from the Earth, so that the value can widely be used as "the" atomic weight for substances as they are encountered in reality—for example, in pharmaceuticals and scientific research. Non-standardized atomic weights of an element are specific to sources and samples, such as the atomic weight of carbon in a particular bone from a particular archeological site. Standard atomic weight averages such values to the range of atomic weights that a chemist might expect to derive from many random samples from Earth. This range is the rationale for the interval notation given for some standard atomic weight values.
Of the 118 known chemical elements, 80 have stable isotopes and 84 have this Earth-environment based value. Typically, such a value is, for example helium: Ar°(He) =4.002602(2). The "(2)" indicates the uncertainty in the last digit shown, to read 4.002602±0.000002. IUPAC also publishes abridged values, rounded to five significant figures. For helium, Ar, abridged°(He) =4.0026.
For fourteen elements the samples diverge on this value, because their sample sources have had a different decay history. For example, thallium (Tl) in sedimentary rocks has a different isotopic composition than in igneous rocks and volcanic gases. For these elements, the standard atomic weight is noted as an interval: Ar°(Tl) =[204.38, 204.39]. With such an interval, for less demanding situations, IUPAC also publishes a conventional value. For thallium, Ar, conventional°(Tl) =204.38.
The standard atomic weight is a special value of the relative atomic mass. It is defined as the "recommended values" of relative atomic masses of sources in the local environment of the Earth's crust and atmosphere as determined by the IUPAC Commission on Atomic Weights and Isotopic Abundances (CIAAW). [2] In general, values from different sources are subject to natural variation due to a different radioactive history of sources. Thus, standard atomic weights are an expectation range of atomic weights from a range of samples or sources. By limiting the sources to terrestrial origin only, the CIAAW-determined values have less variance, and are a more precise value for relative atomic masses (atomic weights) actually found and used in worldly materials.
The CIAAW-published values are used and sometimes lawfully required in mass calculations. The values have an uncertainty (noted in brackets), or are an expectation interval (see example in illustration immediately above). This uncertainty reflects natural variability in isotopic distribution for an element, rather than uncertainty in measurement (which is much smaller with quality instruments). [3]
Although there is an attempt to cover the range of variability on Earth with standard atomic weight figures, there are known cases of mineral samples which contain elements with atomic weights that are outliers from the standard atomic weight range. [2]
For synthetic elements the isotope formed depends on the means of synthesis, so the concept of natural isotope abundance has no meaning. Therefore, for synthetic elements the total nucleon count of the most stable isotope (i.e., the isotope with the longest half-life) is listed in brackets, in place of the standard atomic weight.
When the term "atomic weight" is used in chemistry, usually it is the more specific standard atomic weight that is implied. It is standard atomic weights that are used in periodic tables and many standard references in ordinary terrestrial chemistry.
Lithium represents a unique case where the natural abundances of the isotopes have in some cases been found to have been perturbed by human isotopic separation activities to the point of affecting the uncertainty in its standard atomic weight, even in samples obtained from natural sources, such as rivers.[ citation needed ][ dubious ]
An example of why "conventional terrestrial sources" must be specified in giving standard atomic weight values is the element argon. Between locations in the Solar System, the atomic weight of argon varies as much as 10%, due to extreme variance in isotopic composition. Where the major source of argon is the decay of 40
K in rocks, 40
Ar will be the dominant isotope. Such locations include the planets Mercury and Mars, and the moon Titan. On Earth, the ratios of the three isotopes 36Ar : 38Ar : 40Ar are approximately 5 : 1 : 1600, giving terrestrial argon a standard atomic weight of 39.948(1).
However, such is not the case in the rest of the universe. Argon produced directly, by stellar nucleosynthesis, is dominated by the alpha-process nuclide 36
Ar. Correspondingly, solar argon contains 84.6% 36
Ar (according to solar wind measurements), [4] and the ratio of the three isotopes 36Ar : 38Ar : 40Ar in the atmospheres of the outer planets is 8400 : 1600 : 1. [5] The atomic weight of argon in the Sun and most of the universe, therefore, would be only approximately 36.3. [6]
Famously, the published atomic weight value comes with an uncertainty. This uncertainty (and related: precision) follows from its definition, the source being "terrestrial and stable". Systematic causes for uncertainty are:
These three uncertainties are accumulative. The published value is a result of all these.
Modern relative atomic masses (a term specific to a given element sample) are calculated from measured values of atomic mass (for each nuclide) and isotopic composition of a sample. Highly accurate atomic masses are available [7] [8] for virtually all non-radioactive nuclides, but isotopic compositions are both harder to measure to high precision and more subject to variation between samples. [9] [10] For this reason, the relative atomic masses of the 22 mononuclidic elements (which are the same as the isotopic masses for each of the single naturally occurring nuclides of these elements) are known to especially high accuracy.
Isotope | Atomic mass [8] | Abundance [9] | |
---|---|---|---|
Standard | Range | ||
28Si | 27.976 926 532 46(194) | 92.2297(7)% | 92.21–92.25% |
29Si | 28.976 494 700(22) | 4.6832(5)% | 4.67–4.69% |
30Si | 29.973 770 171(32) | 3.0872(5)% | 3.08–3.10% |
The calculation is exemplified for silicon, whose relative atomic mass is especially important in metrology. Silicon exists in nature as a mixture of three isotopes: 28Si, 29Si and 30Si. The atomic masses of these nuclides are known to a precision of one part in 14 billion for 28Si and about one part in one billion for the others. However the range of natural abundance for the isotopes is such that the standard abundance can only be given to about ±0.001% (see table). The calculation is
The estimation of the uncertainty is complicated, [11] especially as the sample distribution is not necessarily symmetrical: the IUPAC standard relative atomic masses are quoted with estimated symmetrical uncertainties, [12] and the value for silicon is 28.0855(3). The relative standard uncertainty in this value is 1×10–5 or 10 ppm. To further reflect this natural variability, in 2010, IUPAC made the decision to list the relative atomic masses of 10 elements as an interval rather than a fixed number. [13]
The use of the name "atomic weight" has attracted a great deal of controversy among scientists. [14] Objectors to the name usually prefer the term "relative atomic mass" (not to be confused with atomic mass). The basic objection is that atomic weight is not a weight, that is the force exerted on an object in a gravitational field, measured in units of force such as the newton or poundal.
In reply, supporters of the term "atomic weight" point out (among other arguments) [14] that
It could be added that atomic weight is often not truly "atomic" either, as it does not correspond to the property of any individual atom. The same argument could be made against "relative atomic mass" used in this sense.
![]() | This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: {{ CIAAW2021 }} data and value notation to be used.(July 2022) |
IUPAC publishes one formal value for each stable element, called the standard atomic weight. [16] [17] Any updates are published biannually (in uneven years). In 2015, the atomic weight of ytterbium was updated. [16] Per 2017, 14 atomic weights were changed, including argon changing from single number to interval value. [18] [19]
The value published can have an uncertainty, like for neon: 20.1797(6), or can be an interval, like for boron: [10.806, 10.821].
Next to these 84 values, IUPAC also publishes abridged values (up to five digits per number only), and for the twelve interval values, conventional values (single number values).
Symbol Ar is a relative atomic mass, for example from a specific sample. To be specific, the standard atomic weight can be noted as Ar°(E), where (E) is the element symbol.
The abridged atomic weight, also published by CIAAW, is derived from the standard atomic weight reducing the numbers to five digits (five significant figures). The name does not say 'rounded'.
Interval borders are rounded downwards for the first (lowmost) border, and upwards for the upward (upmost) border. This way, the more precise original interval is fully covered. [20]
Examples:
Fourteen chemical elements – hydrogen, lithium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, magnesium, silicon, sulfur, chlorine, argon, bromine, thallium, and lead – have a standard atomic weight that is defined not as a single number, but as an interval. For example, hydrogen has Ar°(H) = [1.00 784, 1.00811]. This notation states that the various sources on Earth have substantially different isotopic constitutions, and uncertainties are incorporated in the two numbers. For these elements, there is not an 'Earth average' constitution, and the 'right' value is not its middle (that would be 1.007975 for hydrogen, with an uncertainty of (±0.000135) that would make it just cover the interval). However, for situations where a less precise value is acceptable, CIAAW has published a single-number conventional atomic weight that can be used for example in trade. For hydrogen, Ar, conventional°(H) = 1.008. [21]
By using the abridged value, and the conventional value for the fourteen interval values, a short IUPAC-defined value (5 digits plus uncertainty) can be given for all stable elements. In many situations, and in periodic tables, this may be sufficiently detailed. [22]
Element (E) | Ar°(E) | Value type | Ar°(E), abridged or conventional | Mass number [most stable isotope] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
hydrogen | 1H | [1.00784, 1.00811] | Interval | 1.0080±0.0002 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
nitrogen | 7N | [14.00643, 14.00728] | Interval | 14.007±0.001 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
fluorine | 9F | 18.998403162±0.000000005 | Value ± uncertainty | 18.998±0.001 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
calcium | 20Ca | 40.078±0.004 | Value ± uncertainty | 40.078±0.004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
technetium | 43Tc | (none) | Most stable isotope | [97] |
Z | Symbol | Name | Ar, standard | abridged | year changed | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | H | hydrogen | [1.00784, 1.00811] | 1.0080±0.0002 | 2009 | ||
2 | He | helium | 4.002602±0.000002 | 4.0026±0.0001 | 1983 | ||
3 | Li | lithium | [6.938, 6.997] | 6.94±0.06 | 2009 | ||
4 | Be | beryllium | 9.0121831±0.0000005 | 9.0122±0.0001 | 2013 | ||
5 | B | boron | [10.806, 10.821] | 10.81±0.02 | 2009 | ||
6 | C | carbon | [12.0096, 12.0116] | 12.011±0.002 | 2009 | ||
7 | N | nitrogen | [14.00643, 14.00728] | 14.007±0.001 | 2009 | ||
8 | O | oxygen | [15.99903, 15.99977] | 15.999±0.001 | 2009 | ||
9 | F | fluorine | 18.998403162±0.000000005 | 18.998±0.001 | 2021 | ||
10 | Ne | neon | 20.1797±0.0006 | 20.180±0.001 | 1985 | ||
11 | Na | sodium | 22.98976928±0.00000002 | 22.990±0.001 | 2005 | ||
12 | Mg | magnesium | [24.304, 24.307] | 24.305±0.002 | 2011 | ||
13 | Al | aluminium | 26.9815384±0.0000003 | 26.982±0.001 | 2017 | ||
14 | Si | silicon | [28.084, 28.086] | 28.085±0.001 | 2009 | ||
15 | P | phosphorus | 30.973761998±0.000000005 | 30.974±0.001 | 2013 | ||
16 | S | sulfur | [32.059, 32.076] | 32.06±0.02 | 2009 | ||
17 | Cl | chlorine | [35.446, 35.457] | 35.45±0.01 | 2009 | ||
18 | Ar | argon | [39.792, 39.963] | 39.95±0.16 | 2017 | ||
19 | K | potassium | 39.0983±0.0001 | 39.098±0.001 | 1979 | ||
20 | Ca | calcium | 40.078±0.004 | 40.078±0.004 | 1983 | ||
21 | Sc | scandium | 44.955907±0.000004 | 44.956±0.001 | 2021 | ||
22 | Ti | titanium | 47.867±0.001 | 47.867±0.001 | 1993 | ||
23 | V | vanadium | 50.9415±0.0001 | 50.942±0.001 | 1977 | ||
24 | Cr | chromium | 51.9961±0.0006 | 51.996±0.001 | 1983 | ||
25 | Mn | manganese | 54.938043±0.000002 | 54.938±0.001 | 2017 | ||
26 | Fe | iron | 55.845±0.002 | 55.845±0.002 | 1993 | ||
27 | Co | cobalt | 58.933194±0.000003 | 58.933±0.001 | 2017 | ||
28 | Ni | nickel | 58.6934±0.0004 | 58.693±0.001 | 2007 | ||
29 | Cu | copper | 63.546±0.003 | 63.546±0.003 | 1969 | ||
30 | Zn | zinc | 65.38±0.02 | 65.38±0.02 | 2007 | ||
31 | Ga | gallium | 69.723±0.001 | 69.723±0.001 | 1987 | ||
32 | Ge | germanium | 72.630±0.008 | 72.630±0.008 | 2009 | ||
33 | As | arsenic | 74.921595±0.000006 | 74.922±0.001 | 2013 | ||
34 | Se | selenium | 78.971±0.008 | 78.971±0.008 | 2013 | ||
35 | Br | bromine | [79.901, 79.907] | 79.904±0.003 | 2011 | ||
36 | Kr | krypton | 83.798±0.002 | 83.798±0.002 | 2001 | ||
37 | Rb | rubidium | 85.4678±0.0003 | 85.468±0.001 | 1969 | ||
38 | Sr | strontium | 87.62±0.01 | 87.62±0.01 | 1969 | ||
39 | Y | yttrium | 88.905838±0.000002 | 88.906±0.001 | 2021 | ||
40 | Zr | zirconium | 91.224±0.002 | 91.224±0.002 | 1983 | ||
41 | Nb | niobium | 92.90637±0.00001 | 92.906±0.001 | 2017 | ||
42 | Mo | molybdenum | 95.95±0.01 | 95.95±0.01 | 2013 | ||
43 | Tc | technetium | - | ||||
44 | Ru | ruthenium | 101.07±0.02 | 101.07±0.02 | 1983 | ||
45 | Rh | rhodium | 102.90549±0.00002 | 102.91±0.01 | 2017 | ||
46 | Pd | palladium | 106.42±0.01 | 106.42±0.01 | 1979 | ||
47 | Ag | silver | 107.8682±0.0002 | 107.87±0.01 | 1985 | ||
48 | Cd | cadmium | 112.414±0.004 | 112.41±0.01 | 2013 | ||
49 | In | indium | 114.818±0.001 | 114.82±0.01 | 2011 | ||
50 | Sn | tin | 118.710±0.007 | 118.71±0.01 | 1983 | ||
51 | Sb | antimony | 121.760±0.001 | 121.76±0.01 | 1993 | ||
52 | Te | tellurium | 127.60±0.03 | 127.60±0.03 | 1969 | ||
53 | I | iodine | 126.90447±0.00003 | 126.90±0.01 | 1985 | ||
54 | Xe | xenon | 131.293±0.006 | 131.29±0.01 | 1999 | ||
55 | Cs | caesium | 132.90545196±0.00000006 | 132.91±0.01 | 2013 | ||
56 | Ba | barium | 137.327±0.007 | 137.33±0.01 | 1985 | ||
57 | La | lanthanum | 138.90547±0.00007 | 138.91±0.01 | 2005 | ||
58 | Ce | cerium | 140.116±0.001 | 140.12±0.01 | 1995 | ||
59 | Pr | praseodymium | 140.90766±0.00001 | 140.91±0.01 | 2017 | ||
60 | Nd | neodymium | 144.242±0.003 | 144.24±0.01 | 2005 | ||
61 | Pm | promethium | |||||
62 | Sm | samarium | 150.36±0.02 | 150.36±0.02 | 2005 | ||
63 | Eu | europium | 151.964±0.001 | 151.96±0.01 | 1995 | ||
64 | Gd | gadolinium | 157.25±0.03 | 157.25±0.03 | 1969 | ||
65 | Tb | terbium | 158.925354±0.000007 | 158.93±0.01 | 2021 | ||
66 | Dy | dysprosium | 162.500±0.001 | 162.50±0.01 | 2001 | ||
67 | Ho | holmium | 164.930329±0.000005 | 164.93±0.01 | 2021 | ||
68 | Er | erbium | 167.259±0.003 | 167.26±0.01 | 1999 | ||
69 | Tm | thulium | 168.934219±0.000005 | 168.93±0.01 | 2021 | ||
70 | Yb | ytterbium | 173.045±0.010 | 173.05±0.02 | 2015 | ||
71 | Lu | lutetium | 174.9668±0.0001 | 174.97±0.01 | 2007 | ||
72 | Hf | hafnium | 178.486±0.006 | 178.49±0.01 | 2019 | ||
73 | Ta | tantalum | 180.94788±0.00002 | 180.95±0.01 | 2005 | ||
74 | W | tungsten | 183.84±0.01 | 183.84±0.01 | 1991 | ||
75 | Re | rhenium | 186.207±0.001 | 186.21±0.01 | 1973 | ||
76 | Os | osmium | 190.23±0.03 | 190.23±0.03 | 1991 | ||
77 | Ir | iridium | 192.217±0.002 | 192.22±0.01 | 2017 | ||
78 | Pt | platinum | 195.084±0.009 | 195.08±0.02 | 2005 | ||
79 | Au | gold | 196.966570±0.000004 | 196.97±0.01 | 2017 | ||
80 | Hg | mercury | 200.592±0.003 | 200.59±0.01 | 2011 | ||
81 | Tl | thallium | [204.382, 204.385] | 204.38±0.01 | 2009 | ||
82 | Pb | lead | [206.14, 207.94] | 207.2±1.1 | 2020 | ||
83 | Bi | bismuth | 208.98040±0.00001 | 208.98±0.01 | 2005 | ||
84 | Po | polonium | - | ||||
85 | At | astatine | - | ||||
86 | Rn | radon | - | ||||
87 | Fr | francium | - | ||||
88 | Ra | radium | - | ||||
89 | Ac | actinium | - | ||||
90 | Th | thorium | 232.0377±0.0004 | 232.04±0.01 | 2013 | ||
91 | Pa | protactinium | 231.03588±0.00001 | 231.04±0.01 | 2017 | ||
92 | U | uranium | 238.02891±0.00003 | 238.03±0.01 | 1999 | ||
93 | Np | neptunium | - | ||||
94 | Pu | plutonium | - | ||||
95 | Am | americium | - | ||||
96 | Cm | curium | - | ||||
97 | Bk | berkelium | - | ||||
98 | Cf | californium | - | ||||
99 | Es | einsteinium | - | ||||
100 | Fm | fermium | - | ||||
101 | Md | mendelevium | - | ||||
102 | No | nobelium | - | ||||
103 | Lr | lawrencium | - | ||||
104 | Rf | rutherfordium | - | ||||
105 | Db | dubnium | - | ||||
106 | Sg | seaborgium | - | ||||
107 | Bh | bohrium | - | ||||
108 | Hs | hassium | - | ||||
109 | Mt | meitnerium | - | ||||
110 | Ds | darmstadtium | - | ||||
111 | Rg | roentgenium | - | ||||
112 | Cn | copernicium | - | ||||
113 | Nh | nihonium | - | ||||
114 | Fl | flerovium | - | ||||
115 | Mc | moscovium | - | ||||
116 | Lv | livermorium | - | ||||
117 | Ts | tennessine | - | ||||
118 | Og | oganesson | - |
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In chemistry, the molar mass of a chemical compound is defined as the ratio between the mass and the amount of substance of any sample of said compound. The molar mass is a bulk, not molecular, property of a substance. The molar mass is an average of many instances of the compound, which often vary in mass due to the presence of isotopes. Most commonly, the molar mass is computed from the standard atomic weights and is thus a terrestrial average and a function of the relative abundance of the isotopes of the constituent atoms on Earth. The molar mass is appropriate for converting between the mass of a substance and the amount of a substance for bulk quantities.
Relative atomic mass, also known by the deprecated synonym atomic weight, is a dimensionless physical quantity defined as the ratio of the average mass of atoms of a chemical element in a given sample to the atomic mass constant. The atomic mass constant is defined as being 1/12 of the mass of a carbon-12 atom. Since both quantities in the ratio are masses, the resulting value is dimensionless; hence the value is said to be relative.
Gold (79Au) has one stable isotope, 197Au, and 36 radioisotopes, with 195Au being the most stable with a half-life of 186 days. Gold is currently considered the heaviest monoisotopic element. Bismuth formerly held that distinction until alpha-decay of the 209Bi isotope was observed. All isotopes of gold are either radioactive or, in the case of 197Au, observationally stable, meaning that 197Au is predicted to be radioactive but no actual decay has been observed.
Naturally occurring lutetium (71Lu) is composed of one stable isotope 175Lu (97.41% natural abundance) and one long-lived radioisotope, 176Lu with a half-life of 3.78 × 1010 years (2.59% natural abundance). Thirty-five radioisotopes have been characterized, with the most stable, besides 176Lu, being 174Lu with a half-life of 3.31 years, and 173Lu with a half-life of 1.37 years. All of the remaining radioactive isotopes have half-lives that are less than 9 days, and the majority of these have half-lives that are less than half an hour. This element also has 18 meta states, with the most stable being 177mLu (t1/2 160.4 days), 174mLu (t1/2 142 days) and 178mLu (t1/2 23.1 minutes).
Naturally occurring thulium (69Tm) is composed of one stable isotope, 169Tm. Thirty-four radioisotopes have been characterized, with the most stable being 171Tm with a half-life of 1.92 years, 170Tm with a half-life of 128.6 days, 168Tm with a half-life of 93.1 days, and 167Tm with a half-life of 9.25 days. All of the remaining radioactive isotopes have half-lives that are less than 64 hours, and the majority of these have half-lives that are less than 2 minutes. This element also has 26 meta states, with the most stable being 164mTm, 160mTm and 155mTm.
Naturally occurring erbium (68Er) is composed of 6 stable isotopes, with 166Er being the most abundant. 39 radioisotopes have been characterized with between 74 and 112 neutrons, or 142 to 180 nucleons, with the most stable being 169Er with a half-life of 9.4 days, 172Er with a half-life of 49.3 hours, 160Er with a half-life of 28.58 hours, 165Er with a half-life of 10.36 hours, and 171Er with a half-life of 7.516 hours. All of the remaining radioactive isotopes have half-lives that are less than 3.5 hours, and the majority of these have half-lives that are less than 4 minutes. This element also has numerous meta states, with the most stable being 167mEr.
Naturally occurring dysprosium (66Dy) is composed of 7 stable isotopes, 156Dy, 158Dy, 160Dy, 161Dy, 162Dy, 163Dy and 164Dy, with 164Dy being the most abundant. Twenty-nine radioisotopes have been characterized, with the most stable being 154Dy with a half-life of 3.0 million years, 159Dy with a half-life of 144.4 days, and 166Dy with a half-life of 81.6 hours. All of the remaining radioactive isotopes have half-lives that are less than 10 hours, and the majority of these have half-lives that are less than 30 seconds. This element also has 12 meta states, with the most stable being 165mDy, 147mDy and 145mDy.
Naturally occurring terbium (65Tb) is composed of one stable isotope, 159Tb. Thirty-seven radioisotopes have been characterized, with the most stable being 158Tb with a half-life of 180 years, 157Tb with a half-life of 71 years, and 160Tb with a half-life of 72.3 days. All of the remaining radioactive isotopes have half-lives that are less than 6.907 days, and the majority of these have half-lives that are less than 24 seconds. This element also has 27 meta states, with the most stable being 156m1Tb, 154m2Tb and 154m1Tb.
Naturally occurring neodymium (60Nd) is composed of 5 stable isotopes, 142Nd, 143Nd, 145Nd, 146Nd and 148Nd, with 142Nd being the most abundant (27.2% natural abundance), and 2 long-lived radioisotopes, 144Nd and 150Nd. In all, 33 radioisotopes of neodymium have been characterized up to now, with the most stable being naturally occurring isotopes 144Nd (alpha decay, a half-life (t1/2) of 2.29×1015 years) and 150Nd (double beta decay, t1/2 of 7×1018 years). All of the remaining radioactive isotopes have half-lives that are less than 12 days, and the majority of these have half-lives that are less than 70 seconds; the most stable artificial isotope is 147Nd with a half-life of 10.98 days. This element also has 13 known meta states with the most stable being 139mNd (t1/2 5.5 hours), 135mNd (t1/2 5.5 minutes) and 133m1Nd (t1/2 ~70 seconds).
Naturally occurring praseodymium (59Pr) is composed of one stable isotope, 141Pr. Thirty-eight radioisotopes have been characterized with the most stable being 143Pr, with a half-life of 13.57 days and 142Pr, with a half-life of 19.12 hours. All of the remaining radioactive isotopes have half-lives that are less than 5.985 hours and the majority of these have half-lives that are less than 33 seconds. This element also has 15 meta states with the most stable being 138mPr, 142mPr and 134mPr.
Naturally occurring cerium (58Ce) is composed of 4 stable isotopes: 136Ce, 138Ce, 140Ce, and 142Ce, with 140Ce being the most abundant and the only one theoretically stable; 136Ce, 138Ce, and 142Ce are predicted to undergo double beta decay but this process has never been observed. There are 35 radioisotopes that have been characterized, with the most stable being 144Ce, with a half-life of 284.893 days; 139Ce, with a half-life of 137.640 days and 141Ce, with a half-life of 32.501 days. All of the remaining radioactive isotopes have half-lives that are less than 4 days and the majority of these have half-lives that are less than 10 minutes. This element also has 10 meta states.
Naturally occurring lanthanum (57La) is composed of one stable (139La) and one radioactive (138La) isotope, with the stable isotope, 139La, being the most abundant (99.91% natural abundance). There are 38 radioisotopes that have been characterized, with the most stable being 138La, with a half-life of 1.02×1011 years; 137La, with a half-life of 60,000 years and 140La, with a half-life of 1.6781 days. The remaining radioactive isotopes have half-lives that are less than a day and the majority of these have half-lives that are less than 1 minute. This element also has 12 nuclear isomers, the longest-lived of which is 132mLa, with a half-life of 24.3 minutes.
Indium (49In) consists of two primordial nuclides, with the most common (~ 95.7%) nuclide (115In) being measurably though weakly radioactive. Its spin-forbidden decay has a half life of 4.41×1014 years.
Naturally occurring silver (47Ag) is composed of the two stable isotopes 107Ag and 109Ag in almost equal proportions, with 107Ag being slightly more abundant. 40 radioisotopes have been characterized with the most stable being 105Ag with a half-life of 41.29 days, 111Ag with a half-life of 7.43 days, and 112Ag with a half-life of 3.13 hours.
Naturally occurring niobium (41Nb) is composed of one stable isotope (93Nb). The most stable radioisotope is 92Nb with a half-life of 34.7 million years. The next longest-lived niobium isotopes are 94Nb and 91Nb with a half-life of 680 years. There is also a meta state of 93Nb at 31 keV whose half-life is 16.13 years. Twenty-seven other radioisotopes have been characterized. Most of these have half-lives that are less than two hours, except 95Nb, 96Nb and 90Nb. The primary decay mode before stable 93Nb is electron capture and the primary mode after is beta emission with some neutron emission occurring in 104–110Nb.
Arsenic (33As) has 33 known isotopes and at least 10 isomers. Only one of these isotopes, 75As, is stable; as such, it is considered a monoisotopic element. The longest-lived radioisotope is 73As with a half-life of 80 days. Arsenic has been proposed as a "salting" material for nuclear weapons. A jacket of 75As, irradiated by the intense high-energy neutron flux from an exploding thermonuclear weapon, would transmute into the radioactive isotope 76As with a half-life of 1.0778 days and produce approximately 1.13 MeV gamma radiation, significantly increasing the radioactivity of the weapon's fallout for several hours. Such a weapon is not known to have ever been built, tested, or used.
Naturally occurring zinc (30Zn) is composed of the 5 stable isotopes 64Zn, 66Zn, 67Zn, 68Zn, and 70Zn with 64Zn being the most abundant. Twenty-five radioisotopes have been characterised with the most abundant and stable being 65Zn with a half-life of 244.26 days, and 72Zn with a half-life of 46.5 hours. All of the remaining radioactive isotopes have half-lives that are less than 14 hours and the majority of these have half-lives that are less than 1 second. This element also has 10 meta states.
Naturally occurring vanadium (23V) is composed of one stable isotope 51V and one radioactive isotope 50V with a half-life of 1.5×1017 years. 24 artificial radioisotopes have been characterized (in the range of mass number between 40 and 65) with the most stable being 49V with a half-life of 330 days, and 48V with a half-life of 15.9735 days. All of the remaining radioactive isotopes have half-lives shorter than an hour, the majority of them below 10 seconds, the least stable being 42V with a half-life shorter than 55 nanoseconds, with all of the isotopes lighter than it, and none of the heavier, have unknown half-lives. In 4 isotopes, metastable excited states were found (including 2 metastable states for 60V), which adds up to 5 meta states.
Naturally occurring titanium (22Ti) is composed of five stable isotopes; 46Ti, 47Ti, 48Ti, 49Ti and 50Ti with 48Ti being the most abundant. Twenty-one radioisotopes have been characterized, with the most stable being 44Ti with a half-life of 60 years, 45Ti with a half-life of 184.8 minutes, 51Ti with a half-life of 5.76 minutes, and 52Ti with a half-life of 1.7 minutes. All of the remaining radioactive isotopes have half-lives that are less than 33 seconds, and the majority of these have half-lives that are less than half a second.
The Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights (CIAAW) is an international scientific committee of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) under its Division of Inorganic Chemistry. Since 1899, it is entrusted with periodic critical evaluation of atomic weights of chemical elements and other cognate data, such as the isotopic composition of elements. The biennial CIAAW Standard Atomic Weights are accepted as the authoritative source in science and appear worldwide on the periodic table wall charts.
standard atomic weights: Recommended values of relative atomic masses of the elements revised biennially by the IUPAC Commission on Atomic Weights and Isotopic Abundances and applicable to elements in any normal sample with a high level of confidence. A normal sample is any reasonably possible source of the element or its compounds in commerce for industry and science and has not been subject to significant modification of isotopic composition within a geologically brief period.