The Volatile Chemist
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Isotope Stability
Just curious, how were tables of isotope stability produced? Number crunching, or experimentation? I did do some searches on this, I wasn't able to
find anything. If there's math in finding it all out, I'd like to give it a try...
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phlogiston
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Usually by experimentation, although isotope tables do exist where predicted values are added as well, often to show the possible island of stability
of heavy atoms that are theorized to be relatively stable.
Impossible to know what is the case with your specific table, ofcourse, without knowing which table you are referring to.
It is not trivial to calculate isotope stability, and it is currently still actively being studied.
[Edited on 20-5-2014 by phlogiston]
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"If a rocket goes up, who cares where it comes down, that's not my concern said Wernher von Braun" - Tom Lehrer
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