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Chapter 16: Problem 43

If you were looking to find or create superheavy atoms, approximately what range of atomic number would you expect for their nuclei?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The approximate range of atomic numbers for currently known superheavy elements is from 100 to 118, where element 100 is Fermium and element 118 is Oganesson. It is worth noting that scientists are still exploring the possibility of discovering new superheavy elements with even higher atomic numbers.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the characteristics of superheavy elements

Superheavy elements are elements with a large number of protons and neutrons in their nucleus. This makes them less stable because they have a high nuclear force. These elements are usually synthesized artificially, and they tend to have very short half-lives due to their instability.
02

Identify the currently known superheavy elements and their atomic numbers

Currently, scientists have confirmed the existence of elements up to atomic number 118, which is the element named Oganesson. Elements with atomic numbers above 100 are considered as superheavy, starting with Fermium (Fm) with atomic number 100 and ending with Oganesson (Og) with atomic number 118.
03

Determine the range of atomic numbers for superheavy elements

Based on the currently known superheavy elements and their atomic numbers, the range of atomic numbers for superheavy elements is from 100 to 118, where element 100 is Fermium and element 118 is Oganesson.
04

Predict possible future discoveries

Scientists are still exploring the possibility of discovering and synthesizing new superheavy elements with even higher atomic numbers. They expect that there might be an "island of stability" with relatively stable, undiscovered superheavy elements that could have longer half-lives. The atomic number range for these hypothetical elements is not known yet, but it is important to note that scientists are still searching for them. So, the approximate range of atomic numbers for superheavy elements that we currently know of is from 100 to 118, but there might be more yet-undiscovered elements with even higher atomic numbers.

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