Element of the week: copernicium | @GrrlScientist

This week’s component is copernicium, which has the atomic symbol, Cn and the atomic number, 112. Originally identified as ununbium, this element was named in honour of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who found that the Earth orbits the Sun. Possibly the most exciting aspect of this component is the cause it was given its atomic symbol. Initially, it was proposed this element ought to have the symbol Cp. Even so, the Worldwide Union of Pure and Utilized Chemistry (IUPAC) didn’t like this suggestion because Cp had previously been associated with cassiopeium — now recognized as lutetium.

Copernicium is predicted to be a pale silver transition metal that is liquid or possibly a gasoline at room temperature. Although only a couple of atoms of Copernicium have ever existed, it is predicted to be extremely dense.

Copernicium was very first synthesised in 1996 at Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung (GSI) near Darmstadt, Germany, by bombarding lead-208 with zinc-70 nuclei. This made a single atom — yep, you go through that appropriately: A single atom — of copernicium-277. Getting the shy element that it is, it disappeared virtually right away by releasing a large-energy helium nuclei (alpha decay).

Six isotopes of copernicium have been observed so far. Most of these undergo alpha decay, despite the fact that some decay by way of spontaneous fission. The most stable isotope, copernicium-285, has an observed half-existence of 29 seconds.

In this video, our favourite chemistry professor discusses the controversy over the atomic symbol for copernicium:

[Video hyperlink]

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Video journalist Brady Haran is the guy with the camera and the University of Nottingham is the area with the chemists. You can adhere to Brady on twitter @periodicvideos and the University of Nottingham on twitter @UniofNottingham

You’ve currently met these factors:

Roentgenium: Rg, atomic number 111
Darmstadtium: Ds, atomic variety 110
Meitnerium: Mt, atomic quantity 109
Hassium: Hs, atomic quantity 108
Bohrium: Bh, atomic variety 107
Seaborgium: Sg, atomic quantity 106
Dubnium: Db, atomic variety 105
Rutherfordium: Rf, atomic quantity 104
Lawrencium: Lw, atomic quantity 103
Nobelium: No, atomic amount 102
Mendelevium: Md, atomic quantity 101
Fermium: Fm, atomic number a hundred
Einsteinium: Es, atomic amount 99
Californium: Cf, atomic amount 98
Berkelium: Bk, atomic quantity 97
Curium: Cm, atomic amount 96
Americium: Am, atomic number 95
Plutonium: Pu, atomic amount 94
Neptunium: Np, atomic variety 93
Uranium: U, atomic amount 92
Protactinium: Pa, atomic amount 91
Thorium: Th, atomic quantity 90
Actinium: Ac, atomic quantity 89
Radium: Ra, atomic variety 88
Francium: Fr, atomic amount 87
Radon: Rn, atomic number 86
Astatine: As, atomic quantity 85
Polonium: Po, atomic quantity 84
Bismuth: Bi, atomic variety 83
Lead: Pb, atomic amount 82
Thallium: Tl, atomic quantity 81
Mercury: Hg, atomic variety 80
Gold: Au, atomic quantity 79
Platinum: Pt, atomic quantity 78
Iridium: Ir, atomic amount 77
Osmium: Os, atomic variety 76
Rhenium: Re, atomic quantity 75
Tungsten: W, atomic amount 74
Tantalum: Ta, atomic variety 73
Hafnium: Hf, atomic amount 72
Lutetium: Lu, atomic variety 71
Ytterbium: Yb, atomic amount 70
Thulium: Tm, atomic variety 69
Erbium: Er, atomic number 68
Holmium: Ho, atomic variety 67
Dysprosium: Dy, atomic variety 66
Terbium: Tb, atomic amount 65
Gadolinium: Gd, atomic number 64
Europium: Eu, atomic quantity 63
Samarium: Sm, atomic number 62
Promethium: Pm, atomic variety 61
Neodymium: Nd, atomic variety 60
Praseodymium: Pr, atomic variety 59
Cerium: Ce, atomic number 58
Lanthanum: La, atomic quantity 57
Barium: Ba, atomic quantity 56
Cæsium: Cs, atomic quantity fifty five
Xenon: Xe, atomic variety 54
Iodine: I, atomic amount 53
Tellurium: Te, atomic number 52
Antimony: Sb, atomic number 51
Tin: Sn, atomic variety 50
Indium: In, atomic amount 49
Cadmium: Cd, atomic amount 48
Silver: Ag, atomic quantity 47
Palladium: Pd, atomic variety 46
Rhodium: Rh, atomic amount 45
Ruthenium: Ru, atomic number 44
Technetium: Tc, atomic variety 43
Molybdenum: Mo, atomic number 42
Niobium: Ni, atomic amount 41
Zirconium: Zr, atomic variety forty
Yttrium: Y, atomic variety 39
Strontium: Sr, atomic quantity 38
Rubidium: Rr, atomic variety 37
Krypton: Kr, atomic variety 36
Bromine: Br, atomic quantity 35
Selenium: Se, atomic variety 34
Arsenic: As, atomic variety 33
Germanium: Ge, atomic amount 32
Gallium: Ga, atomic variety 31
Zinc: Zn, atomic quantity thirty
Copper: Cu, atomic amount 29
Nickel: Ni, atomic amount 28
Cobalt: Co, atomic variety 27
Iron: Fe, atomic variety 26
Manganese: Mn, atomic quantity 25
Chromium: Cr, atomic quantity 24
Vanadium: V, atomic number 23
Titanium: Ti, atomic variety 22
Scandium: Sc, atomic quantity 21
Calcium: Ca, atomic number 20
Potassium: K, atomic number 19
Argon: Ar, atomic number 18
Chlorine: Cl, atomic number 17
Sulfur: S, atomic variety sixteen
Phosphorus: P, atomic number 15
Silicon: Si, atomic variety 14
Aluminium: Al, atomic number 13
Magnesium: Mg, atomic quantity twelve
Sodium: Na, atomic number eleven
Neon: Ne, atomic quantity 10
Fluorine: F, atomic number 9
Oxygen: O, atomic variety eight
Nitrogen: N, atomic variety seven
Carbon: C, atomic quantity 6
Boron: B, atomic variety five
Beryllium: Be, atomic number four
Lithium: Li, atomic number 3
Helium: He, atomic quantity 2
Hydrogen: H, atomic amount 1

Here is the Royal Society of Chemistry’s interactive Periodic Table of the Aspects that is just truly genuinely entertaining to play with!

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Element of the week: copernicium | @GrrlScientist