chemistry

Isotopes of holmium

Isotopes of holmium is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Isotopes of holmium rather than just read about it. In short: Natural holmium (67Ho) contains one observationally stable isotope, 165Ho. The known isotopes of holmium range from 140Ho to 175Ho.

Key takeaways

Isotopes of holmium belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Isotopes of holmium to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Isotopes of holmium from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Natural holmium (67Ho) contains one observationally stable isotope, 165Ho. The known isotopes of holmium range from 140Ho to 175Ho. The primary decay mode before the stable 165Ho, is beta plus decay to dysprosium isotopes, and the primary mode after is beta minus decay to erbium isotopes. Among the synthetic radioactive isotopes the most stable is 163Ho with a half-life of 4,570 years, the next most stable is 166Ho having a half-life of 26.812 hours, and others are under 4 hours. The isomeric nuclide 166m1Ho, however, has a half-life of 1,133 years, much the longest of the meta states. Holmium-166 (ground state) has been studied for medical application.

List of isotopes

See also Daughter products other than holmium

Isotopes of erbium Isotopes of dysprosium Isotopes of terbium

References

Isotope masses from: Audi, Georges; Bersillon, Olivier; Blachot, Jean; Wapstra, Aaldert Hendrik (2003), "The NUBASE evaluation of nuclear and decay properties", Nuclear Physics A, 729: 3–128, Bibcode:2003NuPhA.729....3A, doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001 Isotopic compositions and standard atomic masses from: de Laeter, John Robert; Böhlke, John Karl; De Bièvre, Paul; Hidaka, Hiroshi; Peiser, H. Steffen; Rosman, Kevin J. R.; Taylor, Philip D. P. (2003). "Atomic weights of the elements. Review 2000 (IUPAC Technical Report)". Pure and Applied Chemistry. 75 (6): 683–800. doi:10.1351/pac200375060683. Wieser, Michael E. (2006). "Atomic weights of the elements 2005 (IUPAC Technical Report)". Pure and Applied Chemistry. 78 (11): 2051–2066. doi:10.1351/pac200678112051. "News & Notices: Standard Atomic Weights Revised". International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. 19 October 2005. Half-life, spin, and isomer data selected from the following sources. Audi, Georges; Bersillon, Olivier; Blachot, Jean; Wapstra, Aaldert Hendrik (2003), "The NUBASE evaluation of nuclear and decay properties", Nuclear Physics A, 729: 3–128, Bibcode:2003NuPhA.729....3A, doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001 National Nuclear Data Center. "NuDat 3.0 database". Brookhaven National Laboratory. Holden, Norman E. (2004). "11. Table of the Isotopes". In Lide, David R. (ed.). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (85th ed.). Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-8493-0485-9.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Isotopes of holmium

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Isotopes of holmium claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Isotopes of holmium before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Isotopes of holmium ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Isotopes of holmium

In research: Isotopes of holmium appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Isotopes of holmium in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Isotopes of holmium is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Holmium, Isotopes of holmium, Lists of isotopes by element, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Isotopes of holmium outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Isotopes of holmium in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Isotopes of holmium means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Isotopes of holmium out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Isotopes of holmium in simple terms?

Natural holmium (67Ho) contains one observationally stable isotope, 165Ho. The known isotopes of holmium range from 140Ho to 175Ho.

Why does Isotopes of holmium matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Isotopes of holmium?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Isotopes of holmium.