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Lead (82 Pb) has four observationally stable isotopes: 204 Pb, 206 Pb, 207 Pb, 208 Pb. Lead-204 is entirely a primordial nuclide and is not a radiogenic nuclide.The three isotopes lead-206, lead-207, and lead-208 represent the ends of three decay chains: the uranium series (or radium series), the actinium series, and the thorium series, respectively; a fourth decay chain, the neptunium series ...
Lead-213 also occurs in the decay chain of neptunium-237. Lead-210 is particularly useful for helping to identify the ages of samples by measuring its ratio to lead-206 (both isotopes are present in a single decay chain). [51] In total, 43 lead isotopes have been synthesized, with mass numbers 178–220. [38]
Specifically, 206 Pb is formed from 238 U, 207 Pb from 235 U, and 208 Pb from 232 Th. In rocks that contain uranium and thorium, the excess amounts of the three heavier lead isotopes allows the rocks to be "dated", thus providing a time estimate for when the rock solidified and the mineral held the ratio of isotopes fixed and in place.
Of the 26 "monoisotopic" elements that have only a single stable isotope, all but one have an odd atomic number—the single exception being beryllium. In addition, no odd-numbered element has more than two stable isotopes, while every even-numbered element with stable isotopes, except for helium, beryllium, and carbon, has at least three.
Lead consists of four stable isotopes: 204 Pb, 206 Pb, 207 Pb, and 208 Pb. Local variations in uranium/thorium/lead content cause a wide location-specific variation of isotopic ratios for lead from different localities. Lead emitted to the atmosphere by industrial processes has an isotopic composition different from lead in minerals.
The series terminates at lead-206, a stable nuclide at the bottom of the valley of stability. Radioactive decay often proceeds via a sequence of steps known as a decay chain. For example, 238 U decays to 234 Th which decays to 234m Pa and so on, eventually reaching 206 Pb :
Pages in category "Isotopes of lead" The following 105 pages are in this category, out of 105 total. ... Lead-206; Lead-206m1; Lead-206m2; Lead-207; Lead-207m; Lead ...
Isotope geochemistry is an aspect of geology based upon the study of natural variations in the relative abundances of isotopes of various elements.Variations in isotopic abundance are measured by isotope-ratio mass spectrometry, and can reveal information about the ages and origins of rock, air or water bodies, or processes of mixing between them.