What Are the Key Properties and Applications of Einsteinium?
Einsteinium Element
Einsteinium is a synthetic element with the atomic number 99 and is a part of the periodic table. It is represented by the symbol "Es" in the periodic table. It is also a member of the actinide series. Einsteinium is the seventh transuranic element and falls in category 13 of the heavy transuranic subsets of the elements.
Einsteinium is synthetic, i.e. it does not occur in nature, nor is it present on the surface of the earth. It is formed in limited quantities by artificial natural transmutations of certain radioactive elements or by a further explosion of thermonuclear bombs.
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Who Discovered Einsteinium?
The initial discovery of Einsteinium (element 99) was an unforeseen result of the detonation of the first thermonuclear weapon, "Mike," which took place on 1 November 1952.
In December 1952, Einsteinium, the seventh transuranic atom in the actinide sequence to be found, was detected by Ghiorso and his co-workers at Berkeley in rubble from the first large thermonuclear blast in the Pacific. Einsteinium was identified as a trace ingredient in the debris from the huge explosion of the Eniwetok hydrogen bomb.
The findings of many of the trans-uranium elements were the result of meticulous theoretical preparation, taking into consideration laboratory methods, forecasts of chemical and nuclear properties.
Einsteinium was one of the trace elements that had been identified. Initial investigations had also revealed fermium and other new elements. Its presence, as well as the presence of many other discovered elements, was not revealed until 1955 owing to the secrecy of this new form of a thermonuclear weapon.
Einsteinium is created by a series of nuclear reactions that includes bombing each isotope and then enabling beta-decay isotopes.
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Naming of Einsteinium
The second element was named in Albert Einstein's honour. The symbol initially introduced for Einsteinium was E, but when IUPAC accepted the name in 1957, they modified the symbol to Es in order to conform to their current regulation that all newly identified elements would have two-letter symbols.
Einsteinium Atomic Number
The atomic number basically defines the number of protons in the particular element. An element is identified by the number of protons, which is given by the atomic number.
The atomic number of the element Einsteinium is 99.
Einsteinium Electron Configuration
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An atom has various shells on which electrons revolve around the nucleus. The number of electrons present in each of the shells is known as the electronic configuration of an element.
The electronic configuration of Einsteinium is [Rn] 5f117s2. In a simpler form, the electrons per shell of Einsteinium can be written as [2, 8, 18, 32, 29, 8, 2]. Einsteinium can have a valency of +2, +3, and +4.
Einsteinium Atomic Mass
The atomic mass of an element refers to the mass of one atom of that element, which is measured in atomic mass units (u), where one atomic mass unit is equivalent to 1/12 the mass of carbon-12 isotope. When calculating the atomic mass of a particular element, we add up the mass of the protons and neutrons, because the mass of the electrons is negligible compared to their mass.
The atomic mass for Einsteinium is 252, but it can vary depending on the isotope.
Isotopes of Einsteinium
Einsteinium is a radioactive metallic element and a member of the periodic table group of actinides. It reacts with the oxygen atom, steam, and acids, but it does not react with alkali. The desired oxidation level for the einsteinium atom is +3.
Isotopes are forms of an element with the same atomic numbers but different mass numbers, i.e. a different number of neutrons. Isomers are forms of a compound or radical that contain the same number of atoms of the same elements but vary in structural arrangement and other characteristics.
There are 17 known Einsteinium isotopes with mass numbers from 241 to 257 and 3 identified isomers. All Einsteinium isotopes are radioactive, and the isotope Einsteinium-252 with a half-life of 472 days is the one with the longest lifespan.
Properties of Einsteinium
Uses of Einsteinium
Only small quantities of Einsteinium have ever been produced, and this is mainly used in scientific studies.
One can simulate and study radioactive decay through Einsteinium.
It is among the heaviest elements on which we can perform bulk studies.
It has some medical uses but is not yet commercial.
It is mainly used for studying radiation damage, targeted medical radiation treatments and accelerated ageing.
FAQs on Einsteinium: Complete Guide for Chemistry Students
1. What is Einsteinium (Es)?
Einsteinium (Es) is a synthetic, radioactive chemical element with the atomic number 99. It is a member of the actinide series in the periodic table. As a transuranic element, it is not found naturally on Earth and is produced in nuclear reactors. It is a soft, silvery, paramagnetic metal known for its high radioactivity.
2. Who first discovered Einsteinium and where was it found?
Einsteinium was discovered in 1952 by a team of scientists led by Albert Ghiorso at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. It was identified in the debris from the first large-scale hydrogen bomb test, code-named 'Ivy Mike.' The discovery was kept secret until 1955 due to Cold War tensions.
3. What is the complete electron configuration of Einsteinium?
The ground state electron configuration of an Einsteinium atom is [Rn] 5f¹¹ 7s². The [Rn] represents the electron configuration of Radon, the noble gas preceding it. This configuration, with electrons in the 5f orbital, is characteristic of its position as an actinide element.
4. To which group and period does Einsteinium belong in the periodic table?
Einsteinium is located in the actinide series of the f-block. While group numbers are not formally assigned to f-block elements, it is placed in Period 7 of the periodic table. It is the seventh transuranic element.
5. Why are the practical applications of Einsteinium extremely limited?
The applications of Einsteinium are extremely limited and confined to basic scientific research for two main reasons:
- Scarcity and Production Cost: Einsteinium is produced in only microscopic amounts (micrograms to milligrams) through complex and expensive processes in nuclear reactors.
- Instability: All isotopes of Einsteinium are highly radioactive with short half-lives. The most stable isotope, Es-252, has a half-life of only 471.7 days, making it impractical for long-term use in any product. Its primary use has been as a target material to create even heavier elements, such as Mendelevium.
6. What makes studying the chemical properties of Einsteinium so difficult?
Studying Einsteinium is exceptionally challenging due to its intense radioactivity. The strong radiation emitted by the element causes rapid self-damage to its own crystal structure and releases significant heat (self-heating), which interferes with experimental measurements. This, combined with its scarcity and short half-life, makes comprehensive chemical analysis very difficult.
7. How is Einsteinium's position in the actinide series related to its common oxidation state?
As an actinide, Einsteinium's chemistry is dominated by its oxidation states. The most stable oxidation state for Einsteinium in both solid and aqueous solutions is +3, which is typical for late actinides. It can also exhibit a +2 oxidation state, which is less stable. This behaviour is consistent with the trend of the +3 state becoming more favoured across the actinide series due to the stabilisation of the 5f orbitals.
8. What are the key physical properties of Einsteinium?
Based on limited studies, Einsteinium is known to be a soft, silvery, ductile metal. Key physical properties include:
- Melting Point: 860 °C (estimated)
- Density: 8.84 g/cm³ (estimated)
- Phase at STP: Solid
- Magnetic Property: Paramagnetic
9. What is known about the toxicity or health effects of Einsteinium?
Einsteinium is highly hazardous due to its intense radioactivity. There is no biological role for this element. Studies on animals have shown that if ingested, it is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream. The portion that is absorbed tends to accumulate in the skeleton, where its radiation can cause severe damage to bone marrow and surrounding tissues, increasing the risk of cancers.
10. How does Einsteinium compare to its neighbouring element, Californium?
Einsteinium (Es, atomic number 99) and Californium (Cf, 98) are both synthetic, radioactive actinides with similar properties, but key differences exist. Californium is produced in larger quantities and has isotopes with longer half-lives (like Cf-251), making it more accessible for research and giving it limited practical applications, such as in neutron sources. Einsteinium is far more scarce and has a shorter half-life, restricting its use almost exclusively to fundamental research for synthesising heavier elements.
