Editing Bromine (section)

===Isotopes===
{{main|Isotopes of bromine}}
Bromine has two stable [[isotope]]s, {{sup|79}}Br and {{sup|81}}Br. These are its only two natural isotopes, with {{sup|79}}Br making up 51% of natural bromine and {{sup|81}}Br making up the remaining 49%. Both have nuclear spin 3/2− and thus may be used for [[nuclear magnetic resonance]], although {{sup|81}}Br is more favourable. The relatively 1:1 distribution of the two isotopes in nature is helpful in identification of bromine containing compounds using mass spectroscopy. Other bromine isotopes are all radioactive, with [[half-life|half-lives]] too short to occur in nature. Of these, the most important are {{sup|80}}Br (''t''{{sub|1/2}} = 17.7&nbsp;min), {{sup|80m}}Br (''t''{{sub|1/2}} = 4.421&nbsp;h), and {{sup|82}}Br (''t''{{sub|1/2}} = 35.28&nbsp;h), which may be produced from the [[neutron activation]] of natural bromine.<ref name="Greenwood800" /> The most stable bromine radioisotope is {{sup|77}}Br (''t''{{sub|1/2}} = 57.04&nbsp;h). The primary decay mode of isotopes lighter than {{sup|79}}Br is [[electron capture]] to isotopes of [[selenium]]; that of isotopes heavier than {{sup|81}}Br is [[beta decay]] to isotopes of [[krypton]]; and {{sup|80}}Br may decay by either mode to stable {{sup|80}}Se or {{sup|80}}Kr. Br isotopes from <sup>87</sup>Br and heavier undergo beta decay with neutron emission and are of practical importance because they are fission products.<ref name="NUBASE">{{NUBASE 2003}}</ref>