How Does Flerovium Contribute to Modern Chemistry?
Scientists have been interested in discovering elements for ages. Elements are the substance whose all the atoms have the same number of protons. Humanity has known some of the elements for thousands of years, such as iron, copper, gold, etc. But maximum elements have been discovered after the year 1668. Till now the nuclear scientists have discovered 118 elements, and one of the recent discoveries in the list of elements is Flerovium. This element is extremely radioactive. The symbol of Flerovium is Fl, and it is a super heavy artificial chemical element. It was discovered in the year 1998 and is named after the Flerov Laboratory, where it was discovered.
What Is Flerovium?
Flerovium is an extremely radioactive synthetic element. Not much is known about this element as to date it has minimal usage. Scientists have classified this Fl element as a metal because they expect it to stay solid at average or room temperature. They predict the element to occur around Element 114 and suggest it to be a part of the “island of stability”. Where neutrons and protons combine to make a solid structure is known as Island of stability.
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(The image displays the different elements of Flerovium)
How Scientists Discovered Flerovium Elements?
When the scientists bombard two lighter elements together, a new element was discovered. The mass of the two elements combined with the mass of the desired new element. Scientists keep one element as stationary, which is known as the target, and the other element is known as a projectile as it is accelerated and effectively shot into the target (the stationary element). For a fraction of second, the two elements stick to each other and form a new element, after which the new element quickly decays. In the same manner, the Fl element was discovered. Scientists at the Flerov Laboratory bombarded atoms of plutonium (Element 94) along with ions of calcium (Element 20) in a beam to discover Fl.
What Are The Uses Of Flerovium?
To date, scientists have made only a few atoms of Fl, and they have not used it much since its discovery. Moreover, the element also does possess any kind of commercial application. The scientists have revealed only one thing about the element that it is harmful because of its high radioactive nature. Therefore there is not much to tell about its use as scientists have used it only for a few pieces of researches or scientific study.
Flerovium Chemical Properties
Here are some of the chemical properties of flerovium that can assist you in understanding it better.
Fl element is a P-Block, Group 14, and Period 7 element.
There are 114 electrons and protons in Fl and 175 neutrons.
Physical Properties Of Flerovium
The Melting point of the element: The melting point of the element is still not very clear, but after a few research, many scientists have concluded that the melting point of the element is 70 degrees Celsius. The result is still a predicted result, and no scientist is sure about it.
The Boiling point of the element: Many scientists are of the opinion that the boiling point of the Fl element is 150 degrees Celsius or 300 degrees F. This, too, is a predicted figure. Scientists lack to give physical properties of the element due to its almost no uses and applications.
The Density of the element: some scientists have predicted that the Fl element density is 22 gcm cube. The scientists have come to this result after conducting a few types of researches on the element.
General Properties Of The Fl Element
Flerovium is a scarcely used element. Its atomic number is 114, and its atomic weight is 289. The category of the element is still unknown. Some scientists are of the opinion that the color of the element is presumably silvery-white, gray, or metallic. Its other name is Ununquadio. The Fl is considered as a metal due to its high density and has about five known synthetic isotopes so far. All these isotopes are supposed to have a half-life, which means that half of the fundamental atoms of the element die in a fraction of time. The mass number of these five isotopes ranges between 285 and 289. Scientists have derived that all these isotopes are highly unstable in nature, and only the isotope 285 Fl is considered as the most stable isotope of the Fl element. The isotope 285 Fl has a half-life, which is equal to around 2.6 seconds.
Fun Facts About The Fl Element
Flerovium is obtained by bombarding ions of plutonium and calcium.
The metal is an extremely radioactive metal.
It can be easily formed in the said nuclear reactors.
It belongs to the p-block elements of the periodic table, and the elements of this block are considered to be the heaviest elements.
FAQs on Flerovium: Discovery, Properties, and Uses
1. What is Flerovium and what was its temporary name?
Flerovium (Fl) is a superheavy, synthetic chemical element with the atomic number 114. Before it was officially named in 2012, it was known by its temporary IUPAC systematic name, ununquadium (symbol Uuq), which simply means 'one-one-four'.
2. Where is Flerovium located in the periodic table and what does this signify?
Flerovium is located in Group 14 and Period 7 of the periodic table, placing it in the p-block. It is situated directly below lead (Pb). Its position signifies that it is expected to be a post-transition metal and share some properties with other Group 14 elements like carbon, silicon, and lead. However, its actual chemical behaviour is heavily influenced by relativistic effects.
3. How is a synthetic element like Flerovium discovered or created?
Flerovium is not found in nature and can only be created in a laboratory. It was first synthesized in 1999 by a team of scientists at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna, Russia. They produced it by bombarding a plutonium-244 target with a beam of calcium-48 ions in a particle accelerator. This fusion of nuclei resulted in the formation of Flerovium atoms.
4. What are the predicted physical and chemical properties of Flerovium?
Based on its position in the periodic table, Flerovium is predicted to have the following properties:
- State: Likely a solid at room temperature with a very high density.
- Metallic Character: Expected to be a metal, but perhaps the least reactive in its group.
- Radioactivity: It is extremely radioactive. Its most stable known isotope, 289Fl, has a half-life of only about 1.9 seconds.
- Electron Configuration: The predicted electron configuration is [Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7s² 7p².
5. What are the practical uses or applications of Flerovium?
Currently, Flerovium has no practical uses or commercial applications. Its extreme instability and the fact that it can only be produced a few atoms at a time limit its use to scientific research. Scientists study it to better understand the properties of superheavy elements and test the limits of nuclear stability.
6. Why is Flerovium so unstable compared to lighter elements in its group like lead or tin?
Flerovium's extreme instability is due to its massive nucleus. With 114 protons, there is an immense electrostatic repulsion pushing the nucleus apart. The strong nuclear force, which holds atomic nuclei together, struggles to overcome this repulsion in such large atoms. This imbalance leads to very rapid radioactive decay, where the element transforms into a lighter, more stable element.
7. How do relativistic effects influence Flerovium's properties, making it different from what is expected?
In superheavy elements like Flerovium, electrons orbit the nucleus at speeds approaching the speed of light. This causes relativistic effects, which alter the expected chemical properties. For Flerovium, these effects are predicted to stabilise the 7s and 7p1/2 orbitals, making its outer electrons less available for chemical bonding. Consequently, Flerovium might behave more like a volatile, noble gas-like metal, being much less reactive than its lighter homologue, lead.
8. Since Flerovium is in Group 14 like carbon, could Flerovium-based life exist?
No, Flerovium-based life is not considered possible. The fundamental requirement for an element to be the basis of life is stability. Carbon atoms are stable indefinitely. In contrast, Flerovium is exceptionally unstable, with its most stable isotope decaying in under two seconds. Life cannot be built from atoms that constantly change into other elements with different chemical properties.
