List of radioactive nuclides by half-life
This is a list of radioactive nuclides (sometimes also called isotopes), ordered by half-life from shortest to longest, in seconds, minutes, hours, days and years. Current methods make it difficult to measure half-lives between approximately 10−19 and 10−10 seconds.[1]
10−24 seconds (yoctoseconds)
| isotope | half-life 10−24 seconds |
|---|---|
| hydrogen-5 | 86(6) |
| lithium-4 | 91(9) |
| hydrogen-4 | 139(10) |
| nitrogen-10 | 143(36) |
| oxygen-11 | 198(12) |
| helium-10 | 260(40) |
| hydrogen-6 | 294(67) |
| lithium-5 | 370(30) |
| fluorine-14 | 500(60) |
| boron-7 | 570(14) |
| nitrogen-11 | 585(7) |
| helium-5 | 602(22) |
| beryllium-16 | 650(130) |
| oxygen-28 | ≥650 |
| hydrogen-7 | 652(558) |
| nitrogen-11m | 690(80) |
| boron-21 | > 760 |
| neon-15 | 770(300) |
| beryllium-15 | 790(270) |
| boron-20 | > 912.4 |
| beryllium-11m | 930(130) |
| fluorine-30 | 960(410) |
Twenty-three yoctoseconds is the time needed to traverse a 7-femtometre distance at the speed of light—around the diameter of a large atomic nucleus.
10−21 seconds (zeptoseconds)
| isotope | half-life 10−21 seconds |
|---|---|
| beryllium-13 | 1.0 |
| fluorine-15 | 1.11 |
| oxygen-12 | 1.14 |
| sodium-18 | 1.34 |
| lithium-10m2 | 1.35 |
| lithium-10 | 2.0 |
| oxygen-27 | ≥2.5 |
| helium-7 | 2.51 |
| lithium-13 | 3.3 |
| carbon-8 | 3.5 |
| lithium-10m1 | 3.7 |
| neon-16 | 3.74 |
| boron-14m | 4.15 |
| boron-16 | >4.6 |
| beryllium-6 | 5.0 |
| oxygen-25 | 5.18 |
| helium-9 | 7 |
| fluorine-16 | 11 |
| fluorine-28 | 46 |
| boron-9 | 845 |
10−18 seconds (attoseconds)
| isotope | half-life 10−18 seconds |
|---|---|
| nitrogen-9 | <1 |
| sodium-19 | <1 |
| sodium-19 | >1 |
| beryllium-9m | 1.25 |
| lithium-6m | 56 |
| beryllium-8 | 81.9 |
10−12 seconds (picoseconds)
| isotope | half-life 10−12 seconds |
|---|---|
| oxygen-26 | 4.2(3.3) |
| magnesium-19 | 5(3) |
| argon-30 | <10 |
| potassium-31 | <10 |
| sodium-22m2 | 19.6 |
10−9 seconds (nanoseconds)
10−6 seconds (microseconds)
10−3 seconds (milliseconds)
100 seconds
103 seconds (kiloseconds)
106 seconds (megaseconds)
| isotope | half-life | |
|---|---|---|
| days | 106 seconds | |
| phosphorus-32 | 14.29 | 1.235 |
| radium-225 | 14.9 | 1.29 |
| bismuth-205 | 15.31 | 1.323 |
| vanadium-48 | 15.9735 | 1.38011 |
| protactinium-230 | 17.4 | 1.50 |
| californium-253 | 17.81 | 1.539 |
| thorium-227 | 18.68 | 1.614 |
| einsteinium-253 | 20.47 | 1.769 |
| uranium-230 | 20.8 | 1.80 |
| thorium-234 | 24.10 | 2.082 |
| protactinium-233 | 26.975 | 2.3306 |
| curium-240 | 27 | 2.3 |
| chromium-51 | 27.7025 | 2.39350 |
| mendelevium-260 | 27.8 | 2.40 |
| curium-241 | 32.8 | 2.83 |
| einsteinium-255 | 39.8 | 3.44 |
| plutonium-237 | 45.2 | 3.91 |
| mendelevium-258 | 51.5 | 4.45 |
| beryllium-7 | 53.12 | 4.590 |
| californium-254 | 60.5 | 5.23 |
| cobalt-56 | 77.27 | 6.676 |
| scandium-46 | 83.79 | 7.239 |
| sulfur-35 | 87.32 | 7.544 |
| thulium-168 | 93.1 | 8.04 |
| fermium-257 | 100.5 | 8.68 |
| thulium-170 | 128.6 | 11.11 |
| polonium-210 | 138.376 | 11.9557 |
| calcium-45 | 162.7 | 14.06 |
| curium-242 | 162.8 | 14.07 |
| gold-195 | 186.1 | 16.08 |
| gadolinium-153 | 240.4 | 20.77 |
| zinc-65 | 243.7 | 21.06 |
| cobalt-57 | 271.79 | 23.483 |
| einsteinium-254 | 275.7 | 23.82 |
| vanadium-49 | 330 | 29 |
| berkelium-249 | 330 | 29 |
| californium-248 | 333.5 | 28.81 |
| samarium-145 | 340 | 29 |
| years | 106 seconds | |
| ruthenium-106 | 1.023 | 32.3 |
| neptunium-235 | 1.0845 | 34.22 |
| cadmium-109 | 1.267 | 40.0 |
| einsteinium-252 | 1.2915 | 40.76 |
| thorium-228 | 1.9116 | 60.33 |
| thulium-171 | 1.92 | 61 |
| caesium-134 | 2.0652 | 65.17 |
| sodium-22 | 2.602 | 82.1 |
| californium-252 | 2.645 | 83.5 |
| iron-55 | 2.756 | 87.0 |
| plutonium-236 | 2.858 | 90.2 |
| polonium-208 | 2.898 | 91.5 |
| rhodium-101 | 3.3 | 100 |
| cobalt-60 | 5.2714 | 166.35 |
| radium-228 | 5.75 | 181 |
| barium-133 | 10.74 | 339 |
| krypton-85 | 10.756 | 339.4 |
| hydrogen-3 (also known as tritium) | 12.32 | 389 |
| californium-250 | 13.08 | 413 |
| plutonium-241 | 14.290 | 451.0 |
| niobium-93m | 16.13 | 509 |
| promethium-145 | 17.711 | 558.9 |
| curium-244 | 18.10 | 571 |
| actinium-227 | 21.772 | 687.1 |
| lead-210 | 22.3 | 700 |
| strontium-90 | 28.79 | 909 |
| curium-243 | 29.1 | 920 |
| caesium-137 | 30.17 | 952 |
109 seconds (gigaseconds)
| isotope | half-life | |
|---|---|---|
| years | 109 seconds | |
| bismuth-207 | 32.9 | 1.04 |
| titanium-44 | 63 | 2.0 |
| uranium-232 | 68.9 | 2.17 |
| plutonium-238 | 87.7 | 2.77 |
| samarium-151 | 96.6 | 3.05 |
| nickel-63 | 100.1 | 3.16 |
| polonium-209 | 125.2 | 3.95 |
| americium-242m1 | 141 | 4.4 |
| silicon-32 | 170 | 5.4 |
| argon-39 | 269 | 8.5 |
| berkelium-248 | >300 | >9.5 |
| californium-249 | 351 | 11.1 |
| silver-108m | 418 | 13.2 |
| americium-241 | 432.2 | 13.64 |
| mercury-194 | 444 | 14.0 |
| niobium-91 | 680 | 21 |
| californium-251 | 900 | 28 |
| holmium-166m1 | 1,200 | 38 |
| berkelium-247 | 1,380 | 44 |
| radium-226 | 1,600 | 50 |
| molybdenum-93 | 4,000 | 130 |
| holmium-163 | 4,570 | 144 |
| curium-246 | 4,760 | 150 |
| carbon-14[6] | 5,730 | 181 |
| plutonium-240 | 6,561 | 207.0 |
| thorium-229 | 7,340 | 232 |
| americium-243 | 7,370 | 233 |
| curium-250 | 8,300 | 260 |
| curium-245 | 8,500 | 270 |
| niobium-94 | 20,300 | 640 |
| plutonium-239 | 24,110 | 761 |
1012 seconds (teraseconds)
| isotope | half-life | |
|---|---|---|
| millennia | 1012 seconds | |
| protactinium-231 | 32.76 | 1.034 |
| lead-202 | 52.5 | 1.66 |
| lanthanum-137 | 60 | 1.9 |
| thorium-230 | 75.38 | 2.379 |
| nickel-59 | 76 | 2.4 |
| calcium-41 | 103 | 3.3 |
| neptunium-236 | 154 | 4.9 |
| uranium-233 | 159.2 | 5.02 |
| rhenium-186m | 200 | 6.3 |
| technetium-99 | 211.1 | 6.66 |
| krypton-81 | 229 | 7.2 |
| tin-126 | 230 | 7.3 |
| uranium-234 | 245.5 | 7.75 |
| chlorine-36 | 301 | 9.5 |
| selenium-79 | 327 | 10.3 |
| curium-248 | 348 | 11.0 |
| bismuth-208 | 368 | 11.6 |
| plutonium-242 | 375 | 11.8 |
| aluminium-26 | 717 | 22.6 |
| 106 years | 1012 seconds | |
| beryllium-10 | 1.39 | 44 |
| zirconium-93 | 1.53 | 48 |
| gadolinium-150 | 1.79 | 56 |
| neptunium-237 | 2.144 | 67.7 |
| caesium-135 | 2.3 | 73 |
| iron-60 | 2.6 | 82 |
| technetium-97 | 2.6 | 82 |
| dysprosium-154 | 3.0 | 95 |
| bismuth-210m | 3.04 | 96 |
| manganese-53 | 3.7 | 120 |
| technetium-98 | 4.2 | 130 |
| palladium-107 | 6.5 | 210 |
| hafnium-182 | 8.9 | 280 |
| lead-205 | 17.3 | 550 |
| curium-247 | 15.6 | 490 |
| iodine-129 | 15.7 | 500 |
| uranium-236 | 23.42 | 739 |
1015 seconds (petaseconds)
| isotope | half-life | |
|---|---|---|
| 106 years | 1015 seconds | |
| niobium-92 | 34.724 | 1.0958 |
| plutonium-244 | 81.33 | 2.567 |
| samarium-146 | 92.026 | 2.9041 |
| uranium-235 | 703.8 | 22.21 |
| 109 years | 1015 seconds | |
| potassium-40 | 1.251 | 39.5 |
| uranium-238 | 4.468 | 141.0 |
| thorium-232 | 14.05 | 443 |
1018 seconds (exaseconds)
| isotope | half-life | |
|---|---|---|
| 109 years | 1018 seconds | |
| lutetium-176 | 37.64 | 1.188 |
| rhenium-187 | 41.22 | 1.301 |
| rubidium-87 | 49.72 | 1.569 |
| lanthanum-138 | 102.1 | 3.22 |
| samarium-147 | 106.1 | 3.35 |
| platinum-190 | 483 | 15.2 |
1021 seconds (zettaseconds)
| isotope | half-life | |
|---|---|---|
| 1012 years | 1021 seconds | |
| osmium-184 | 11.2 | 0.35 |
| gadolinium-152 | 108 | 3.4 |
| indium-115 | 441 | 13.9 |
| eons | 1021 seconds | |
| osmium-186 | 2.002 | 63.2 |
| neodymium-144 | 2.292 | 72.3 |
| samarium-148 | 7.005 | 221.1 |
| cadmium-113 | 7.7 | 240 |
1024 seconds (yottaseconds)
| isotope | half-life | |
|---|---|---|
| eons | 1024 seconds | |
| hafnium-174 | 70 | 2.2 |
| vanadium-50 | 140 | 4.4 |
| 1018 years | 1024 seconds | |
| tungsten-180 | 1.801 | 56.8 |
| europium-151 | 5.004 | 157.9 |
| molybdenum-100 | 7.804 | 246.3 |
| neodymium-150 | 7.905 | 249.5 |
| tellurium-130 | 8.806 | 277.9 |
| zirconium-96 | 20 | 630 |
| bismuth-209 | 20.1 | 630 |
| calcium-48 | 23.01 | 726 |
| cadmium-116 | 31.02 | 979 |
1027 seconds (ronnaseconds)
| isotope | half-life | |
|---|---|---|
| 1021 years | 1027 seconds | |
| selenium-82 | 0.0975 | 3.08 |
| barium-130 | 1.2 | 38 |
| germanium-76 | 1.8 | 57 |
| xenon-136 | 2.165 | 68.3 |
| krypton-78 | 9.2 | 290 |
| xenon-124 | 18 | 570 |
1030 seconds (quettaseconds)
| isotope | half-life | |
|---|---|---|
| 1024 years | 1030 seconds | |
| tellurium-128 | 2.2 | 69 |
The half-life of tellurium-128 is over 160 trillion times greater than the age of the universe, which is 4.35×1017 seconds.[7]
See also
- List of elements by stability of isotopes
- List of nuclides
- Orders of magnitude (time)
- Lists of isotopes, by element
Notes
- ^ Reaching the limits of nuclear stability, M. Thoennessen, Rep. Prog. Phys. 67 (2004), pp. 1187–1232, §2.3, doi:10.1088/0034-4885/67/7/R04.
- ^ "Periodic Table - Ptable".
- ^ Niwase, T.; Watanabe, Y. X.; Hirayama, Y.; et al. (2023). "Discovery of New Isotope 241U and Systematic High-Precision Atomic Mass Measurements of Neutron-Rich Pa-Pu Nuclei Produced via Multinucleon Transfer Reactions" (PDF). Physical Review Letters. 130 (13): 132502-1 – 132502-6. Bibcode:2023PhRvL.130m2502N. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.132502. PMID 37067317. S2CID 257976576.
- ^ Yirka, Bob (April 5, 2023). "Previously unknown isotope of uranium discovered". Phys.org. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ^ Radiation, UAB. "Accepted_HalfLives_Commonly_Used_Radioisotopes" (PDF). Accepted_HalfLives_Commonly_Used_Radioisotopes. UAB Radiation Safety. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ 14
C is used in radiocarbon dating. - ^ Walker, John. "Barely Radioactive Elements". fourmilab.ch. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
External links
- Radioactive isotope table "lists ALL radioactive nuclei with a half-life greater than 1000 years", incorporated in the list above.
- The NUBASE2020 evaluation of nuclear physics properties F.G. Kondev et al. 2021 Chinese Phys. C 45 030001. The PDF of this article lists the half-lives of all known radioactives nuclides.