Radioactive elements

The periodic table, one of the most important aspects of chemistry. It consists of 118 elements. Out of those, 38 are radioactive. Radioactive elements perform radioactive decay (weak nuclear force). Radioactive decay happens when an atom's nucleus is unstable, radioactive decay happens in that it releases radiation in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves to become more stable.The unstable nucleus changes into a new nucleus, frequently of an entirely unique element, during radioactive decay. This process releases energy in the form of radiation, which can be in the form of gamma rays (high-energy electromagnetic radiation), beta particles (either electrons or positrons), alpha particles (composed of two protons and two neutrons), or other particles.

 

Some radioactive elements are:

 

Berkelium: Berkelium is a man-made chemical element with the atomic number 97 and the letter Bk. It is a member of the actinide series of elements and a highly radioactive metal. Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley created berkelium for the first time in 1949; hence, the name. Berkelium has few practical uses and is largely utilized for research due to its radioactivity and rarity. Nuclear physicists and chemists who are researching the behavior of heavy elements are particularly interested in it. A crucial component in the creation of additional synthetic elements, such as element 117, tennessine, is berkelium. Also, the berkelium is the only element named after a university.

 

Einsteinium: Einsteinium is a synthetic element with the symbol Es and atomic number 99. It was named after Albert Einstein to honor his contributions to physics. This radioactive element is produced by nuclear reactions and has no significant practical uses due to its scarcity and high radioactivity. Einsteinium is mostly used for scientific research and as a neutron source. Its properties and behavior are studied to gain insights into the behavior of heavy elements and nuclear reactions. Due to its short half-life, it poses challenges for handling and experimentation.

 

Mendelevium :The synthetic element mendelevium has an atomic number of 101. In 1955, a group of researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, created the substance for the first time. The periodic table's inventor, Dmitri Mendeleev, is honoured by having the element bear his name. The radioactive element mendelevium is not discovered in nature on Earth. Its limited practical applications are caused by its short half-life, yet despite this, it is crucial for research and study of transuranium elements. Due to its scarce nature, mendelevium's properties are not well-known and more study is required to completely understand them. It was discovered in the USA during the cold war. The scientists had to pull a lot of strings to name it after Dimitri Mendeleev, a Russian scientist. This shows that even during times of war, science can pull us together.

 Americium: Americium is a radioactive element with the symbol Am and atomic number 95. It was first produced in 1944 by Glenn T. Seaborg and his team. Americium is mainly used in smoke detectors due to its alpha particle emission, which triggers ionization and detects smoke presence. It's also used in neutron sources for scientific research and in portable X-ray machines. However, its radioactivity makes proper handling crucial. As a synthetic element, it has no natural occurrence and is typically derived from nuclear reactions. Americium's unique properties continue to contribute to various scientific, industrial, and safety applications.

These are just few of the radioactive elements. Now we all really know there is more than just danger to radioactive elements. It can really benefit our world in many ways, and it is an interesting topic to delve in. So if you are bored, just read about radioactive elements.

P.S: Reading about radioactive elements, I discovered the best place for researching them is Berkley, who have discovered many radioactive elements.