Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy can be used to study which type of atoms?


A. 16O
B. 1H
C. 2He

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy can be used to study the nuclei of atoms, particularly those with non-zero nuclear spin.

In the case of option A, 16O refers to the oxygen isotope with 16 nucleons. However, 16O has zero nuclear spin, so it is not suitable for NMR spectroscopy.

Option B, 1H, refers to the hydrogen isotope with a single proton. This is the most commonly studied type of atom in NMR spectroscopy because it has a non-zero nuclear spin of ½. Therefore, the answer is B. NMR spectroscopy is extensively used to study the hydrogen nuclei in molecules, providing valuable information about molecular structure and dynamics.

Option C, 2He, refers to the helium isotope with two nucleons. However, 2He also has zero nuclear spin, so it is not suitable for NMR spectroscopy.