Chemical elements named after scientists. The origin of the names of chemical elements

Chemistry is a science with a long history. Many well-known scientists contributed to its development. See the reflection of their achievements in the table of chemical elements, where there are substances named in their honor. What exactly and what is the history of their appearance? Let's consider the question in detail.

Einsteinium

To start listing the chemical elements named after scientists, stands with one of the most famous. Einsteinium was artificially obtained and named after the greatest physicist of the twentieth century. The element has an atomic number of 99, it does not have stable isotopes and belongs to the transuranium, of which the seventh was discovered. He was identified by the team of the scientist Giorso in December 1952. Find Einsteinium can be in the dust remaining as a result of a thermonuclear explosion. For the first time, work with him was conducted in the Radiation Laboratory of the University of California, and then in Argonne and Los Alamos. The half-life of isotopes is twenty days, which makes Einsteinium not the most dangerous radioactive element. The study of it is quite difficult because of the difficulty of obtaining it under artificial conditions. In the form of a metal with high volatility, it can be obtained as a result of a chemical reaction using lithium, the crystals obtained will differ by a face-centered cubic structure. In the aqueous solution, the element gives a green color.

Curium

The history of the discovery of chemical elements and the processes associated with them is impossible without mentioning the works of this family. Maria Sklodowska and Pierre Curie made a serious contribution to the development of world science. Their work as the founders of the science of radioactivity reflects the element named accordingly. Curium belongs to the family of actinides and has an atomic number of 96. It does not have stable isotopes. For the first time it was received in 1944 by the Americans Seaborg, James and Giorso. Some isotopes of curium differ in an incredibly long half-life. In an atomic reactor, they can be created in kilogram quantities when neutrons irradiate uranium or plutonium. The element of curium is a silver metal with a melting point of one thousand three hundred and forty degrees Celsius. From the remaining actinides it is separated by ion-exchange methods. Strong release of heat in radioactive decay makes it possible to use it for the production of compact current sources. Other chemical elements, named after scientists, often do not have such an actual practical application, curium can serve to create generators that can work for several months.

Mendelevium

It is impossible to forget about the creator of the most important classification system in the history of chemistry . Mendeleev was one of the greatest scientists of the past. Therefore, the history of the discovery of chemical elements is reflected not only in its table, but also in the names in its honor. The substance was obtained in 1955 by American scientists Harvey, Gyorso, Choppin, Thompson and Seaborg. The element of Mendeleev belongs to the family of actinides and has an atomic number of 101. It is radioactive and arises in the course of a nuclear reaction involving einsteinium. As a result of the first experiments, American scientists managed to get only seventeen Mendelian atoms, but even this number was enough to determine its properties and placement in the periodic table.

Nobelium

The discovery of chemical elements often occurs as a result of artificial processes in the laboratory. This also applies to Nobel, which was first received in 1957 by a group of scientists from Stockholm, who suggested calling it in honor of the founder of the International Scientific Prize Fund. The element has an atomic number of 102, it belongs to the family of actinides. Reliable data on the isobaths of Nobelium were obtained in the sixties by researchers from the Soviet Union, whose head was Flerov. To synthesize the nucleus U, Pu and Am were irradiated with O, N, Ne ions. As a result, we obtained isotopes with mass numbers from 250 to 260, the longest-lived of which was an element with a half-decay length of one and a half hours. Volatility of chloride of Nobelium is close to that of other actinides, also obtained in the results of experiments in laboratories.

Lawrence

A chemical element from the family of actinides with atomic number 103, like many other similar ones, was obtained artificially. There are no stable isotopes in laurence. For the first time, it was synthesized by an American scientist, headed by Giorso, in 1961. Results of the experiments could not be repeated, but the original name of the element remained the same. Information on isotopes was obtained by Soviet physicists from the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna. They obtained them by irradiating americium with accelerated oxygen ions. It is known that the core of laurentium emits radioactive radiation, and the half-life takes about half a minute. In 1969, scientists from Dubna succeeded in obtaining other isotopes of the element. Physicists from the American University in Berkeley created new ones in 1971. Their mass numbers were from 257 to 260, and the isotope with a half-decay of three minutes was the most stable. The chemical properties of laurensia resemble those of other heavy actinides - this was established by several scientific experiments.

Rutherfordium

Listing the chemical elements, named after scientists, it is worth mentioning this one. Rutherfordy has the serial number 104 and is part of the fourth group of the periodic table. For the first time, this group of scientists from Dubna managed to create this transuranic element in 1964. This occurred during the bombardment of the California atom by carbon nuclei. A new element was decided to be named after the chemist Rutherford from New Zealand. In nature, rutherfordium is not found. Its longest-lived isotope has a half-life of sixty-five seconds. There is no practical application for this element of the periodic table.

Seaborgium

The discovery of chemical elements has become a major part of the career of physicist Albert Gyorso from the United States. Siborgy was received by him in 1974. It is a chemical element from the sixth group of the Mendeleyev periodic system with atomic number 106 and weight 263. It was discovered by bombarding the atoms of California with oxygen nuclei. In the process, only a few atoms were obtained, so it was difficult to study the properties of the element in detail. In nature, the radioactive metal of siborgy does not occur, therefore it is of exclusively scientific interest.

Bory

Listing the chemical elements, named after scientists, it is worth mentioning this one. Borii belongs to the seventh group of the periodic system of Mendeleyev. He has an atomic number of 107 and a weight of 262. It was first obtained in 1981 in Germany, in the city of Darmstadt. Scientists Armbrusten and Manzenberg decided to name it in honor of Niels Bohr. The element was obtained as a result of the bombardment of the bismuth atom by chromium nuclei. Borium refers to transuranium metals. During the experiment, only a few atoms were obtained, which is not enough for in-depth study. Having no analogues in living nature, borium has a value exclusively within the scope of scientific interest, in the same way as the above-mentioned rutherfordium, also created artificially in the laboratory.