Which one of the following is NOT radioactive ?

examrobotsa's picture
Q: 117 (IAS/2001)
Which one of the following is NOT radioactive ?

question_subject: 

Science

question_exam: 

IAS

stats: 

0,25,39,16,10,13,25

keywords: 

{'tritium': [0, 0, 1, 1], 'zirconium': [0, 2, 1, 0], 'astatine': [0, 0, 1, 0], 'francium': [0, 0, 1, 0]}

Zirconium is a chemical element with the symbol Zr and atomic number 40. It is a transition metal commonly used in various applications, including nuclear reactors and the production of alloys. While some isotopes of zirconium are radioactive, the most abundant and naturally occurring isotope, Zirconium-90 (Zr-90), is stable.

Stable isotopes do not undergo radioactive decay, meaning they do not spontaneously emit radiation or decay into other elements over time. Zirconium-90 has a stable nucleus and does not exhibit any radioactive properties.

In contrast, Astatine (At), Francium (Fr), and Tritium (H-3) are all radioactive isotopes. Astatine is a highly radioactive element, Francium is the most unstable of the naturally occurring elements, and Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen.

Therefore, of the options provided, Zirconium is the element that is not radioactive.