Stable isotope

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In physics, a stable isotope is a nuclide that has no detected decay on geological timescales. When discussing different elements, a stable isotope may be called a stable nuclide. The relative abundance of such stable isotopes can be measured experimentally (isotope analysis), yielding an isotope ratio that can be used as a research tool. The nuclei of stable isotopes are not radioactive and do not undergo radioactive decay. The 80 elements with one or more stable isotopes comprise a total over 250 nuclides that have not been shown to decay using current equipment. Of these 80 elements, 26 have only one stable isotope and are called monoisotopic. The other 56 have more than one stable isotope. Tin has ten stable isotopes, the largest number of any element.

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