Question

What does it mean for an element to be synthetic?

Answer 1

Hint: This question is based on the knowledge of differences between a natural-occurring and a synthetic element. There are 118 elements discovered in the periodic table, all of them are not naturally occurring. Some of the elements are synthesized in the laboratories in the process of different experimentations.

Complete answer:
When an element is artificially generated by man, we can call it synthetic. Synthetic elements can't be found or don't exist in nature. Existing elements or chemical compounds are manipulated to create these elements. These substances are classified as "man-made." There have been 24 synthetic elements created so far. The synthetic elements are those with atomic numbers 95–118.
The process for making a synthetic element is to add more protons to the nucleus of an element having a lower atomic number than 95. The transuranic elements are the elements that follow uranium on the periodic table and are only generated artificially. These elements may have existed on Earth early in its history, although they would have decomposed into more stable elements long ago, similar to technetium. Several procedures can be used to create these pieces.
When an element is bombarded with neutrons, it absorbs one and becomes a heavier isotope of that element.
In cyclotrons and particle accelerators, fusion of heavy elements with lighter elements such as hydrogen, helium, carbon, nitrogen, or oxygen can be induced.

Note:
It has been hypothesized that the elements following element 112, which would be in the p-block region of the periodic table, might be more stable than the transition metals in the last row (103-112); however, there is currently insufficient data to confirm whether this so-called "island of stability" exists.