Br79

Br79 refers to the stable isotope of bromine with mass number 79. It contains 35 protons and 44 neutrons. Br79 is one of the two naturally occurring bromine isotopes, the other being Br81. In natural bromine, approximately 50.7% consists of Br79 and about 49.3% of Br81, making Br79 the slightly more abundant isotope. The average atomic weight of bromine is about 79.904, reflecting this isotopic mixture.

As a chemical element, Br79 behaves identically to other bromine isotopes in reactions, because isotopes of the same element share chemical properties. Differences between Br79 and Br81 arise only in nuclear mass and related small physical effects, such as subtle differences in vibrational or spectroscopic properties detectable in high-precision measurements. Br79 is stable and does not decay, so it has no radioactive half-life.

Production and use: Br79 occurs naturally in bromine-bearing minerals and fluids. In specialized laboratory settings, isotopic separation techniques such as mass spectrometry or gas diffusion can enrich Br79 or Br81, though routine enrichment is uncommon outside research contexts. Br79 serves as a reference point in isotopic-abundance studies and can be used as a tracer in chemical and environmental experiments where bromine measurements require stable isotopes.

Safety: As a stable isotope, Br79 itself does not present radiological hazards. Bromine metal and many bromine compounds are toxic and reactive, so standard chemical safety precautions apply when handling bromine-containing materials. See also bromine and bromine isotopes Br81.