Isotopes of calcium

Isotope data
calcium symbol icon

Calcium isotopes (mainly Ca-42, Ca-44, Ca-46 and Ca-48) are used extensively in clinical research and mainly in nutritional studies. They are used to measure calcium absorption mainly in women and children. In adults, calcium deficiency is strongly related to increasing severity of osteoporosis. In children, calcium deficiency is primarily related to the development of rickets. Ca-48 has been used to bombard Pb and Bi targets in order to create super heavy elements. Calcium isotopes can be obtained from Trace Sciences International.

Naturally occurring isotopes

This table shows information about naturally occuring isotopes, their atomic masses, their natural abundances, their nuclear spins, and their magnetic moments. Further data for radioisotopes (radioactive isotopes) of calcium are listed (including any which occur naturally) below.
Isotope Atomic mass (ma/u) Natural abundance (atom %) Nuclear spin (I) Magnetic moment (μ/μN)
40Ca 39.9625906 (13) 96.941 (156) 0 0
42Ca 41.9586176 (13) 0.647 (23) 0 0
43Ca 42.9587662 (13) 0.135 (10) 7/2 -1.31727
44Ca 43.9554806 (14) 2.086 (110) 0 0
46Ca 45.953689 (4) 0.004 (3) 0 0
48Ca 47.952533 (4) 0.187 (21) 0 0

Isotopic abundances of Ca
In the above picture, the most intense ion is set to 100% since this corresponds best to the output from a mass spectrometer. This is not to be confused with the relative percentage isotope abundances which total 100% for all the naturally occurring isotopes.

Radiosotope data

Further data for naturally occuring isotopes of calcium are listed above. This table gives information about some radiosotopes of calcium, their masses, their half-lives, their modes of decay, their nuclear spins, and their nuclear magnetic moments.
Isotope Mass Half-life Mode of decay Nuclear spin Nuclear magnetic moment
41Ca 40.9622783 102000 y EC to 41K 7/2 -1.595
45Ca 44.956186 162.7 d β- to 45Sc 7/2 -1.327
47Ca 46.954546 4.536 d β- to 47Sc 7/2 -1.38
49Ca 48.955673 8.72 m β- to 49Sc 3/2
50Ca 49.95752 14 s β- to 50Sc 0
51Ca 50.9615 10 s β- to 51Sc; β- + n to 50Sc 3/2
52Ca 51.9651 4.6 s β- to 52Sc

Sheffield ChemPuter isotope pattern calculator

You can use WebElements to calculate an isotope pattern for an arbitrary chemical formula:

Edit this formula :

Note the following when entering your formula:

  • Correctly nested brackets [{()}] are OK
  • 'Pseudoelements' such as Me, Ph, Cp, and many others are OK
  • Compound names and element names such as 'water' or 'manganese' are not OK
  • Experiment with your formula to see what is possible

References

  1. Naturally occurring isotope abundances: Commission on Atomic Weights and Isotopic Abundances report for the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry in Isotopic Compositions of the Elements 1989, Pure and Applied Chemistry, 1998, 70, 217. [Copyright 1998 IUPAC]
  2. Masses, nuclear spins, and magnetic moments: I. Mills, T. Cvitas, K. Homann, N. Kallay, and K. Kuchitsu in Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry, Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, UK, 1988. [Copyright 1988 IUPAC]
  3. For further information about radioisotopes see Jonghwa Chang's (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) Table of the Nuclides

WebElements Shop

WebElements now has an online shop at which you can buy periodic table posters, mugs, T-shirts, games, molecular models, and more.

WebElements poster Periodic table t-shirts Periodic table mouse mats Molymod molecular model kits Periodic table card games

Isotope data Crystal structure Electronic data History Geology Atom sizes Compounds
calcium atomic number