The main isotopes of argon (Ar) found on Earth are 40Ar, 36Ar, and 38Ar. Naturally occurring 40K with a half-life of 1.250×109 years, decays to stable 40Ar (11.2%) by electron capture and by positron emission, and also transforms to stable 40Ca (88.8%) via beta decay. These properties and ratios are used to determine the age of rocks through potassium-argon dating.[1]
In the Earth's atmosphere, 39Ar is made by cosmic ray activity, primarily with 40Ar. In the subsurface environment, it is also produced through neutron capture by 39K or alpha emission by calcium. The content of 39Ar in natural argon is measured to be of (8.0±0.6)×10−16 g/g, or (1.01±0.08) Bq/kg of natAr [2]. 37Ar is created from the decay of 40Ca as a result of subsurface nuclear explosions. It has a half-life of 35 days.[1] The content of 42Ar in the Earth's atmosphere is lower than 6×10−21 parts per part of natAr [3].
Standard atomic mass: 39.948(1) u.
Contents |
| nuclide symbol |
Z(p) | N(n) | isotopic mass (u) |
half-life | nuclear spin |
representative isotopic composition (mole fraction) |
range of natural variation (mole fraction) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| excitation energy | |||||||
| 30Ar | 18 | 12 | 30.02156(32)# | <20 ns | 0+ | ||
| 31Ar | 18 | 13 | 31.01212(22)# | 14.4(6) ms | 5/2(+#) | ||
| 32Ar | 18 | 14 | 31.9976380(19) | 98(2) ms | 0+ | ||
| 32mAr | 5600(100)# keV | ? | 5-# | ||||
| 33Ar | 18 | 15 | 32.9899257(5) | 173.0(20) ms | 1/2+ | ||
| 34Ar | 18 | 16 | 33.9802712(4) | 844.5(34) ms | 0+ | ||
| 35Ar | 18 | 17 | 34.9752576(8) | 1.775(4) s | 3/2+ | ||
| 36Ar | 18 | 18 | 35.967545106(29) | STABLE | 0+ | 0.003365(30) | |
| 37Ar | 18 | 19 | 36.96677632(22) | 35.04(4) d | 3/2+ | ||
| 38Ar | 18 | 20 | 37.9627324(4) | STABLE | 0+ | 0.000632(5) | |
| 39Ar | 18 | 21 | 38.964313(5) | 269(3) a | 7/2- | ||
| 40Ar | 18 | 22 | 39.9623831225(29) | STABLE | 0+ | 0.996003(30) | |
| 41Ar | 18 | 23 | 40.9645006(4) | 109.61(4) min | 7/2- | ||
| 42Ar | 18 | 24 | 41.963046(6) | 32.9(11) a | 0+ | ||
| 43Ar | 18 | 25 | 42.965636(6) | 5.37(6) min | (5/2-) | ||
| 44Ar | 18 | 26 | 43.9649240(17) | 11.87(5) min | 0+ | ||
| 45Ar | 18 | 27 | 44.9680400(6) | 21.48(15) s | (1/2,3/2,5/2)- | ||
| 46Ar | 18 | 28 | 45.96809(4) | 8.4(6) s | 0+ | ||
| 47Ar | 18 | 29 | 46.97219(11) | 1.23(3) s | 3/2-# | ||
| 48Ar | 18 | 30 | 47.97454(32)# | 0.48(40) s | 0+ | ||
| 49Ar | 18 | 31 | 48.98052(54)# | 170(50) ms | 3/2-# | ||
| 50Ar | 18 | 32 | 49.98443(75)# | 85(30) ms | 0+ | ||
| 51Ar | 18 | 33 | 50.99163(75)# | 60# ms [>200 ns] | 3/2-# | ||
| 52Ar | 18 | 34 | 51.99678(97)# | 10# ms | 0+ | ||
| 53Ar | 18 | 35 | 53.00494(107)# | 3# ms | (5/2-)# | ||
| Isotopes of chlorine | Isotopes of argon | Isotopes of potassium |
| Index to isotope pages · Table of nuclides | ||