Isotopes of nitrogen

Isotopes of nitrogen (7N)
Main isotopes Decay
Isotope abun­dance half-life (t1/2) mode pro­duct
13N trace 9.965 min β+ 13C
14N 99.6% stable
15N 0.380% stable
16N synth 7.13 s β− 16O
β−α<0.01% 12C
Standard atomic weight Ar°(N)
  • [14.00643, 14.00728]
  • 14.007±0.001 (abridged)

Natural nitrogen (7N) consists of two stable isotopes: the vast majority (99.62%) of naturally occurring nitrogen is nitrogen-14, with the remainder (0.38%) being nitrogen-15. Thirteen radioisotopes are also known, with atomic masses ranging from 9 to 23, along with three nuclear isomers. All of these radioisotopes are short-lived, the longest-lived being 13N with a half-life of 9.965 minutes. All of the others have half-lives shorter than ten seconds. Isotopes lighter than the stable ones generally decay to isotopes of carbon, and those heavier beta decay to isotopes of oxygen.

Nitrogen-13 is a positron emitter and one of the main isotopes used in medical PET scans.

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