Editing Zinc (section)

===Isotopes===
{{Main|Isotopes of zinc}}
Five stable [[isotope]]s of zinc occur in nature, with <sup>64</sup>Zn being the most abundant isotope (49.17% [[natural abundance]]).<ref name="NNDC">{{cite web|url=http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/chart/|editor=Alejandro A. Sonzogni (Database Manager)|title=Chart of Nuclides|publisher=National Nuclear Data Center, [[Brookhaven National Laboratory]]|access-date=September 13, 2008|date=2008|location=Upton (NY)|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080522125027/http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/chart|archive-date=May 22, 2008}}</ref>{{NUBASE2016|ref}} The other isotopes found in nature are {{chem|66|Zn}} (27.73%), {{chem|67|Zn}} (4.04%), {{chem|68|Zn}} (18.45%), and {{chem|70|Zn}} (0.61%).{{NUBASE2016|name}}

Several dozen [[radioisotope]]s have been characterized. {{chem|65|Zn}}, which has a half-life of 243.66&nbsp;days, is the least active radioisotope, followed by {{chem|72|Zn}} with a half-life of 46.5&nbsp;hours.<ref name="NNDC" /> Zinc has 10 [[nuclear isomer]]s, of which <sup>69m</sup>Zn has the longest half-life, 13.76 h.<ref name="NNDC" /> The superscript ''m'' indicates a [[metastable]] isotope. The nucleus of a metastable isotope is in an [[excited state]] and will return to the [[ground state]] by emitting a [[photon]] in the form of a [[gamma ray]]. {{chem|61|Zn}} has three excited metastable states and {{chem|73|Zn}} has two.<ref>{{NUBASE 2003}}</ref> The isotopes {{chem|65|Zn}}, {{chem|71|Zn}}, {{chem|77|Zn}} and {{chem|78|Zn}} each have only one excited metastable state.<ref name="NNDC" />

The most common [[decay mode]] of a [[radioisotope]] of zinc with a [[mass number]] lower than 66 is [[electron capture]]. The [[decay product]] resulting from electron capture is an isotope of copper.<ref name="NNDC" />

:{{nuclide|zinc|n}} + {{SubatomicParticle|link=yes|electron}} → {{nuclide|copper|n}} + {{SubatomicParticle|link=yes|Electron neutrino}}

The most common decay mode of a radioisotope of zinc with mass number higher than 66 is [[beta decay]] (β<sup>−</sup>), which produces an isotope of [[gallium]].<ref name="NNDC" />
:{{nuclide|zinc|n}} → {{nuclide|gallium|n}} + {{SubatomicParticle|electron}} + {{SubatomicParticle|link=yes|Electron antineutrino}}