Nickel-62

Nickel-62 is an <a href="/facts/Isotope/KD9B1y6o">isotope</a> of <a href="/facts/Nickel/KwMCHYRP">nickel</a> having 28 <a href="/facts/Proton/clCjepXP">protons</a> and 34 <a href="/facts/Neutron/oRCM1geb">neutrons</a>.
It is a <a href="/facts/Stable_isotope/vgcdxgjA">stable isotope</a>, with the highest <a href="/facts/Nuclear_binding_energy/PU8bREHW">binding energy</a> per <a href="/facts/Nucleon/6fguU9Xk">nucleon</a> of any known <a href="/facts/Nuclide/97Ykvzr3">nuclide</a> (8.7945 MeV). It is often stated that <a href="/facts/Iron-56/JnJgjxdn">56Fe</a> is the "most stable nucleus", but only because 56Fe has the lowest mass per nucleon (not binding energy per nucleon) of all nuclides. The lower mass per nucleon of 56Fe is possible because 56Fe has 26/56 ≈ 46.43% protons, while 62Ni has only 28/62 ≈ 45.16% protons. Protons are less massive than neutrons, meaning that the larger fraction of protons in 56Fe lowers its mean mass-per-nucleon ratio in a way that has no effect on its binding energy. In other words, Nickel-62 still has the least massive protons and neutrons of any isotope.

Nickel-62 open-in-new

Nickel-62