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Iron-56 (56Fe) is the most common Nuclear Binding Energy
/ref> Nickel-62, a relatively rare isotope of nickel, has a higher nuclear binding energy per nucleon; this is consistent with having a higher mass-per-nucleon because nickel-62 has a greater proportion of
Iron-56 (56Fe) is the most common isotope
Isotopes are two or more types of atoms that have the same atomic number (number of protons in their nuclei) and position in the periodic table (and hence belong to the same chemical element), and that differ in nucleon numbers ( mass number ...
of iron
Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in ...
. About 91.754% of all iron is iron-56.
Of all nuclides, iron-56 has the lowest mass per nucleon
In physics and chemistry, a nucleon is either a proton or a neutron, considered in its role as a component of an atomic nucleus. The number of nucleons in a nucleus defines the atom's mass number (nucleon number).
Until the 1960s, nucleons w ...
. With 8.8 MeV binding energy per nucleon, iron-56 is one of the most tightly bound nuclei./ref> Nickel-62, a relatively rare isotope of nickel, has a higher nuclear binding energy per nucleon; this is consistent with having a higher mass-per-nucleon because nickel-62 has a greater proportion of
neutron
The neutron is a subatomic particle, symbol or , which has a neutral (not positive or negative) charge, and a mass slightly greater than that of a proton. Protons and neutrons constitute the nuclei of atoms. Since protons and neutrons behav ...
s, which are slightly more massive than protons. (See the nickel-62 article for more). Light elements undergoing nuclear fusion and heavy elements undergoing nuclear fission
Nuclear fission is a nuclear reaction, reaction in which the atomic nucleus, nucleus of an atom splits into two or more smaller atomic nucleus, nuclei. The fission process often produces gamma ray, gamma photons, and releases a very large ...
release energy as their nucleons bind more tightly, so 62Ni might be expected to be common. However, during nucleosynthesis in stars the competition between photodisintegration and alpha capturing causes more 56Ni to be produced than 62Ni (56Fe is produced later in the star's ejection shell as 56Ni decays).
Production of these elements has decreased considerably from what it was at the beginning of the stelliferous era.
Nonetheless, 28 atoms of nickel-62 fusing into 31 atoms of iron-56 releases of energy. As the Universe
The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. A ...
ages, matter will slowly convert to ever more tightly bound nuclei, approaching 56Fe, ultimately leading to the formation of iron stars over ≈101500 years in an expanding universe without proton decay.
See also
* Isotopes of iron * Iron starReferences
* {{Isotope, element=iron , lighter= iron-55 , heavier= iron-57 , before= manganese-56cobalt-56
Naturally occurring cobalt (Co) consists of a single stable isotope, Co. Twenty-eight radioisotopes have been characterized; the most stable are Co with a half-life of 5.2714 years, Co (271.8 days), Co (77.27 days), and Co (70.86 days). All other ...
, after=Stable
Isotopes of iron