Mo92

Mo-92 is a stable isotope of the element molybdenum (chemical symbol Mo) with mass number 92. It has 42 protons (Z = 42) and 50 neutrons (N = 92 − 42 = 50). As one of molybdenum’s natural isotopes, it contributes to the element’s overall isotopic mixture found in nature.

In natural molybdenum, Mo-92 accounts for about 14.8% of the element's isotopic composition. The atomic mass of this isotope is approximately 91.9068 atomic mass units.

Mo-92 is considered a stable, non-radioactive isotope. Its neutron number corresponds to the N = 50 magic number in nuclear physics, a factor associated with greater nuclear stability for certain isotopes.

Applications and significance: Isotopic analysis often uses the natural abundance of Mo-92 in geochemical and cosmochemical studies. Mo-92, along with other molybdenum isotopes, is measured in mass spectrometry to investigate geological sources, planetary differentiation, and meteorite composition. Its stable nature and relatively high natural abundance among molybdenum isotopes make it a standard reference in some isotopic ratio studies.

See also: Molybdenum isotopes, isotopic analysis, mass spectrometry.