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First, I need to define what an isotope is. An isotope of an element has the same number of protons, but a different number of neutrons. So, for example, Carbon-12 has 6 protons (which is why its atomic number on the table of elements is 6), and 6 neutrons. Carbon-14 also has 6 protons, but 8 neutrons. A radioactive isotope, or radioisotope, is one that is unstable and decays over time into another isotope or even another element that has a stable configuration.
Carbon-14 is what they use in "Carbon dating"; it has a half-life of 5,730 years. This means that if you had 10 pounds of carbon-14, at the end of 5,730 years, roughly half of it will have decayed into nitrogen-14. Some elements have an extremely long half-life; Uranium-235 has a half-life of 700 million years. Others have a half-life measured in a fraction of a second, like the man-made element Ununnilium-272, which has a half-life of only 10 milliseconds. For comparison, it takes 300 to 400 milliseconds to blink. This means Uun-272 has a half-life that is 30 to 40 times faster than a single blink!
At this point I could go into even more detail about the different types of radioactive decay (alpha-, beta-, and gamma-), which types of decay are dangerous to human life, and so on; but this is supposed to be an answer, not a chemistry book! I will, however, point out that the average American absorbs 360 mrem's of radiation per year. Your chance of dying from cancer increases 10% if you accumulate a total of 250,000 mrems - which means you'd have to live about 695 years to accumulate that much radiation! Not much to worry about...
Most elements, but not all, have at least one radioisotope.
All elements with an atomic number of 80 or higher have at least one radioisotope.
All isotopes of elements with an atomic number of 84 or higher are radioisotopes.
Therefore, Mercury (atomic number 80) is not normally radioactive, but some isotopes of it (Hg-194, Hg-197, Hg-203, and Hg-206) are radioactive; while all isotopes of Polonium (atomic number 84) are radioactive.
The total number of elements that have NO stable isotopes, including naturally-occurring and man-made elements, is about 37. If you add elements with naturally-occurring radioisotopes, that number will be significantly higher. (Carbon-14, for example, is naturally occurring.)
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Rainwolf28
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoAs of 2008, there were about 3200 different known nuclides. Of these, only 266 are considered stable (non-radioactive) nuclides. Therefore, there are about 2934 radioactive nuclides in nature. Some elements have multiple stable nuclides. The number of elements with at least one stable nuclide is 80. (Source: Fundamentals of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Shultis & Faw, 2008, CRC Press)
The following site has a complete table of the known nuclides that is easy to view. The stable (non-radioactive) nuclides are shown in grey boxes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_nuclides_(complete)
For more detailed information, refer to the following interactive table of nuclides. There is a Help screen and a handy Glossary.
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago- 90 that are considered to be naturally occurring
- about 118 known
- theoretically many more are possible
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What nuclear process occurred when light elements combine to form heavier elements?
Nuclear Fusion
How many known forces are in the universe?
Four :-Gravity, Electromagnetic, Weak nuclear, Strong nuclear.
How do you combine elements to make other elements?
nuclear fusion
How did nuclear fusion lead to the formation of all chemical elements?
how has nuclear fusion led to the formation of all the other chemical elements
What is the type of nuclear reaction that results in the production of synthetic elements?
Nuclear Fusion.
What nuclear process occurred when light elements combine to form heavier elements?
Nuclear Fusion
How many known forces are in the universe?
Four :-Gravity, Electromagnetic, Weak nuclear, Strong nuclear.
How many approximately elements in nature?
There are about 118 different elements that are currently included in the Periodic Table. There have also been elements that have been found in nuclear and laboratories accelerators.
Element used in an explosive ingredient in nuclear weapons?
The radioactive elements plutonium or uranium are the elements that are used in nuclear weapons that create nuclear fission. Isotopes of hydrogen are used in nuclear weapons that create nuclear fusion.
How do you combine elements to make other elements?
nuclear fusion
What elements form through nuclear fusion?
With the exceptions of the lighter elements of hydrogen (H) and helium (He), nearly all of the known elements were created by, or as a byproduct of, nuclear fusion.
How did nuclear fusion lead to the formation of all chemical elements?
how has nuclear fusion led to the formation of all the other chemical elements
Where are synhetic elements made from?
Synthetic elements are obtained by nuclear reactions.
What is a radioactive nuclear fuel?
All nuclear fuels contain radioactive elements.
What is the type of nuclear reaction that results in the production of synthetic elements?
Nuclear Fusion.
Compare the role of nuclear fusion in the formation of Earth's naturally occurring elements and in the creation of synthetic elements in the laboratory?
Creation of synthetic elements in the laboratory is not based on nuclear fusion.
How many elements are discover now?
There are 119 currently known elements. 98 of them occur naturally, with the remainder created in particle accelerators or during nuclear reactions.
