Isotopes of Scandium

Isotopes Of Scandium

Naturally occurring scandium (Sc) is composed of one stable isotope 45Sc. Twenty-four radioisotopes have been characterized with the most stable being 46Sc with a half-life of 83.8 days, 47Sc with a half-life of 3.35 days, and 48Sc with a half-life of 43.7 hours. All of the remaining radioactive isotopes have half-lives that are less than four hours, and the majority of these have half-lives that are less than two minutes, the least stable being 39Sc with a half-life shorter than 300 nanoseconds. The half-lives for isotopes with mass numbers less than 39 is unknown. This element also has 10 meta states with the most stable being 44mSc (t_½ 58.6 h).

The isotopes of scandium range in atomic weight from 36 u (36Sc) to 60 u (60Sc). The primary decay mode at masses lower than the only stable isotope, 45Sc, is Beta-plus or electron capture, and the primary mode at masses above it is beta-minus. The primary decay products at atomic weights below 45Sc are calcium isotopes and the primary products from higher atomic weights are titanium isotopes.

Standard atomic mass: 44.955912(6) u