There are four naturally occurring oxygen isotopes, O-15, O-16, O-17, O-18. Which one is the most abundant?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking to identify which of the four naturally occurring oxygen isotopes (O-15, O-16, O-17, O-18) is the most abundant in nature.
Answer
O-16 is the most abundant oxygen isotope.
The most abundant oxygen isotope is O-16.
Answer for screen readers
The most abundant oxygen isotope is O-16.
More Information
O-16 makes up over 99% of natural oxygen, making it by far the most prevalent compared to other oxygen isotopes. It's abundantly found in the Earth's atmosphere and biological systems.
Tips
A common mistake is to include O-15 as a naturally occurring isotope; however, O-15 is not naturally occurring but is generated in nuclear reactions.
Sources
- Which is the most abundant oxygen isotope? - Socratic - socratic.org
- Isotopes of oxygen - Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org
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