Oxygen Isotopes
Sidebar to: Final Blow to IAA Report
| Isotopes | Number of Protons | Number of Neutrons | Abundance within the Earth (weight percent) |
| O-16 or 16O | 8 | 8 | 99.76% |
| O-17 or 17O | 8 | 9 | 0.04% |
| O-18 or 18O | 8 | 10 | 0.20% |
| Isotopes are defined by their atomic mass = number of protons + number of neutrons. | |||
| Isotope abundances are measured using a mass spectrometer. | |||
| All three oxygen isotopes are found in calcite (CaCO3, calcium carbonate), the primary mineral in limestone. | |||
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