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Element of the Week #1: Californium

Tsutarja

Tsutarja

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    Welcome to Element of the Week!

    Element of the Week is a new weekly series here in The Lab that will showcase various elements on the Periodic Table of Elements. In this series, you will be able to not only gain some knowledge on a particular element, but also learn about some examples of its usage in real life, alongside having a small discussion!

    Week #1: Californium


    [PokeCommunity.com] Element of the Week #1: Californium

    Basic Information

    Symbol: Cf
    Discovered: 1950
    Atomic number: 98
    Melting point: 1,650°F (898.8°C)
    Electron configuration: [Rn] 5f107s2
    Atomic mass: 251 u

    Usage

    • Used in portable metal detectors to identify gold and silver ores
    • Also used to identify water and oil layers in oil wells
    • Detects metal fatigue and stress in airplanes

    Tidbits & Trivia

    • Named after the state/university of California, where the element was first made
    • It is a radioactive metal
    • Due to its toxicity, it is not used for any biological purposes
    • It did not exist in weighable amounts until 10 years after its discovery

    References & Additional Reading

    1. https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/98/californium

    Discuss!

    So, what do you guys think of this element? Was there something you didn't know about it that you may know now? What do you think of its innovation to not only science, but also technology as well?

    Each element is randomly selected each week. The random selector can be found right here if you are interested in knowing how I selected this week's element.​
     
    I don't try to dig periodic table that much xD.

    Most I know about californium is that it's 6th transuranium element to be discovered and there are 20 reported isotopes of it. The most stable is californium-251 I think.
     
    I love the lanthanoids and actinoids so this is definitely a great way to start off this series!

    I do disgree with labelling it as having an atomic mass of 251u because of the large number of relatively abundant isotopes but I guess it's as good as it gets. xD
     
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