How Does The Size Of Superheavy Elements Affect The Stability?
Are superheavy elements really so unstable that there is no point trying to synthesis new elements? This leads to the question: ‘How does the size of an element affect the stability?’ What are superheavy elements? The scientific term ‘superheavy’ means elements that have an atomic number that is heavier than, element 101, which is Rutherfordium. As they suffer from radioactive decay when exposed to lighter elements, they are not naturally occurring. Meaning, scientists can only artificially make them in laboratories. [1][3]
Explanation-
How does the size of an element affect the stability? What does the term ‘stable’ mean? In atoms, there is a force that holds the nucleus together. It is called Binding energy. The more protons and neutrons the …show more content…
They are called radioactive isotopes. Unstable nuclei split up in a process called radioactive decay and lose energy by emitting radioactive radiation. [6] When atoms are unstable, they lose energy by radioactive decay and superheavy elements lose energy so quickly they decay in a matter of seconds. That is the reason superheavy elements do not occur naturally and they can only be forced into existence by scientist in labs. What is the reason for discovering new superheavy elements? Firstly, they do have some uses. For example, americium is used in smoke detectors and plutonium is used as a fuel in nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons. Over one-third of the energy produced in most nuclear power plants comes from plutonium. [12] Secondly, the superheavy elements discovered are getting closer and closer to the fabled ‘island of stability’. A chemist named Glenn Seaborg who created/discovered a bunch of superheavy elements proposed that the trend of “the heavier the element they created, the shorter the lifespan” would reverse itself and predicted that after element 110, they would find an “island of
Explanation-
How does the size of an element affect the stability? What does the term ‘stable’ mean? In atoms, there is a force that holds the nucleus together. It is called Binding energy. The more protons and neutrons the …show more content…
They are called radioactive isotopes. Unstable nuclei split up in a process called radioactive decay and lose energy by emitting radioactive radiation. [6] When atoms are unstable, they lose energy by radioactive decay and superheavy elements lose energy so quickly they decay in a matter of seconds. That is the reason superheavy elements do not occur naturally and they can only be forced into existence by scientist in labs. What is the reason for discovering new superheavy elements? Firstly, they do have some uses. For example, americium is used in smoke detectors and plutonium is used as a fuel in nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons. Over one-third of the energy produced in most nuclear power plants comes from plutonium. [12] Secondly, the superheavy elements discovered are getting closer and closer to the fabled ‘island of stability’. A chemist named Glenn Seaborg who created/discovered a bunch of superheavy elements proposed that the trend of “the heavier the element they created, the shorter the lifespan” would reverse itself and predicted that after element 110, they would find an “island of