Ununoctium
Bold words should be looked up below under "Words to Know."
History and discovery
The first report of ununoctium was in 1999, where scientists in the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research claimed they had created element 118 by bombarding lead-208 with krypton-86. This statement was later retracted due to false evidence. Later in 2002, scientists at the Joint Institute once again claimed that they had found element 118. This time, they did it by fusing calcium-48 with californium-249. But it wasn't until July 19, 2006, when another atom of ununoctium was produced at the Joint Institute the same way as they did in 2002, was "officially" discovered and element 118 earned a place on the periodic table.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Electron_shell_118_ununoctium.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Electron_shell_118_ununoctium.png
Features and Properties
Element name: Ununoctium
Element Symbol: Uuo
Atomic Number: 118
Atomic Mass: 294
Solid, Liquid, Gas, or Synthetic: Synthetic
Color: Unknown
Element Group: Nonmetal
Melting Point: Unknown
Boiling Point: Unknown
Half Life: 0.89 milliseconds
State of Matter at Room Temperature: Expected to be a gas
Radioactive?: Yes
Stable Isotopes: 0
Element Symbol: Uuo
Atomic Number: 118
Atomic Mass: 294
Solid, Liquid, Gas, or Synthetic: Synthetic
Color: Unknown
Element Group: Nonmetal
Melting Point: Unknown
Boiling Point: Unknown
Half Life: 0.89 milliseconds
State of Matter at Room Temperature: Expected to be a gas
Radioactive?: Yes
Stable Isotopes: 0
How Do You Say It?
Ununoctium is pronounced oon-oon-OCT-eeum.
Uses and Purposes
Since ununoctium is short lived and hard to produce, only small amounts have been made for scientific research.
Fun Facts
-Ununoctium is part of the Noble Gases. This means that the element is a gas (obviously), and it's colorless, odorless, and mono-atomic.
-Ununoctium is in fact, not the element's real name. Ununoct- is of Latin origin and it means 118, the element's atomic number. The element will be stuck with this "placeholder" name until an official name will be given to it.
-Only 3 atoms of Ununoctium have been studied and produced. One in 1999, another in 2002, and the most recent one in 2006.
-Ununoctium's usual state of matter has been debated. Arguments about whether it's a solid or a gas have been going on ever since it was discovered.
-Ununoctium is a transuranium element, or an element with a higher atomic number than uranium (92).
-Ununoctium is considered superheavy because it has an atomic number above 110.
-Ununoctium decays into livermorium through alpha decay.
-Ununoctium is in fact, not the element's real name. Ununoct- is of Latin origin and it means 118, the element's atomic number. The element will be stuck with this "placeholder" name until an official name will be given to it.
-Only 3 atoms of Ununoctium have been studied and produced. One in 1999, another in 2002, and the most recent one in 2006.
-Ununoctium's usual state of matter has been debated. Arguments about whether it's a solid or a gas have been going on ever since it was discovered.
-Ununoctium is a transuranium element, or an element with a higher atomic number than uranium (92).
-Ununoctium is considered superheavy because it has an atomic number above 110.
-Ununoctium decays into livermorium through alpha decay.
Importance in Daily Life
Currently, ununoctium has no use except for scientific research, and there are no reports of a fourth atom being produced. Since the element itself lasts only 0.89 milliseconds, it'll be long gone before someone could make something out of its pure form. The radioactivity in ununoctium is high, and the element itself is expected to be highly reactive. So in the near future, element 118 could be used to make high-quality super-bombs for combat and war. Of course, this won't be happening anytime within the next few years.
Videos
Where Is Dubna?
This is where the Joint Institute is, in Dubna, Russia.
|
Words to Know
Let's review some words in this article and learn some new ones.
Isotope: A variant of an element, such as lead-208, krypton-86, calcium-48, or californium-249.
Mono-atomic: Consists of only one atom.
Transuranium: An element with a higher atomic number than uranium (92).
Alpha Decay: The process of a radioactive element releasing a helium neutron, or alpha particle (2 protons and neutrons), and decaying into a new element.
Superheavy: A word to describe an element with a higher atomic number than 110.
Isotope: A variant of an element, such as lead-208, krypton-86, calcium-48, or californium-249.
Mono-atomic: Consists of only one atom.
Transuranium: An element with a higher atomic number than uranium (92).
Alpha Decay: The process of a radioactive element releasing a helium neutron, or alpha particle (2 protons and neutrons), and decaying into a new element.
Superheavy: A word to describe an element with a higher atomic number than 110.
More Information
Bibliography
Chemicool. "Ununoctium Element Facts." Chemicool. Chemicool, 10 Oct. 2012. Web. 16 Mar. 2013.
Gagnon, Steve. "The Element Ununoctium." It's Elemental -. Jefferson Lab, 2013. Web. 16 Mar. 2013.
Schrobilgen, Gary J. "Element 118." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2013. Web. 15 Mar. 2013.
Winter, Mark. "Ununoctium." WebElements Periodic Table of the Elements. University of Sheffield, 2012. Web. 16 Mar. 2013.
Smith, S.E., and Bronwyn Harris. "What Is Ununoctium?" WiseGeek. Conjecture, 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
Gagnon, Steve. "The Element Ununoctium." It's Elemental -. Jefferson Lab, 2013. Web. 16 Mar. 2013.
Schrobilgen, Gary J. "Element 118." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2013. Web. 15 Mar. 2013.
Winter, Mark. "Ununoctium." WebElements Periodic Table of the Elements. University of Sheffield, 2012. Web. 16 Mar. 2013.
Smith, S.E., and Bronwyn Harris. "What Is Ununoctium?" WiseGeek. Conjecture, 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.