Find iron on the periodic table. Iron has many isotopes. Based on the information given on the periodic table for iron, what isotope of iron is the most common isotope found in nature? Explain your answer.
The atomic weight is 55.845
So I'd say Fe55 is the most common
The heavier isotopes move the average atomic weight up a bit.
I disagree. I would think the most common isotope would be 56Fe with the packing fraction and other isotopes moving it down somewhat.
To find the isotope of iron that is most common in nature, we can refer to the periodic table.
Step 1: Locate iron on the periodic table.
Iron is represented by the symbol Fe and can be found in the 4th period and 8th group (or column) of the periodic table.
Step 2: Determine the atomic number of iron.
The atomic number of an element represents the number of protons found in the nucleus of its atoms. In the case of iron, the atomic number is 26.
Step 3: Identify the isotopes of iron.
Isotopes are variants of an element that have the same atomic number but different mass numbers. Each isotope is identified by its mass number, which represents the sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. Iron has four stable isotopes, which are:
- Iron-54 (mass number = 54)
- Iron-56 (mass number = 56)
- Iron-57 (mass number = 57)
- Iron-58 (mass number = 58)
Step 4: Determine the most common isotope of iron.
To find the most common isotope of iron, we need to identify which one has the highest natural abundance. Natural abundance refers to the percentage or relative amount of an isotope found naturally in the Earth's crust.
Based on the given information on the periodic table, we can conclude that the most common isotope of iron found in nature is Iron-56. This conclusion is supported by the fact that Iron-56 has the highest natural abundance among the four stable isotopes of iron.
In summary, the most common isotope of iron found in nature is Iron-56, as it has the highest natural abundance among the stable isotopes of iron.