Flerovium

Flerovium Details

Flerovium Symbol: Fl

Flerovium Atomic Number: 114

Flerovium Atomic Weight: (289.19)

What is Flerovium?

Flerovium (number 114, symbol Fl) is a manmade element that was discovered at the JINR and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Isotopes and Properties
Little is known about the appearance and physical and chemical properties of Flerovium. This element is synthetic, radioactive, and volatile and has an atomic weight of 289. It has 114 protons and 114 electrons and is a period 7 element. Other elements in this group include curium, plutonium, neptunium, and uranium. This is the heaviest known group 14 element. It is a super heavy element and is predicted to be solid at room temperature. Its ionization energy, atomic radius, melting and boiling points, and oxidation states are unknown. The element’s ionic and Van Der Waals radius are also unknown and so are its electronegativity, heat of fusion, and heat of vaporization. The element is predicted to have properties similar to tin and lead. Lead is ductile, corrosion resistant, and malleable while tin is corrosion resistant, pliable, and soft.

Flerovium's density is pinpointed at 14 grams per cubic centimeter, with 5 common oxidation states – 6, 0, 4, 2, and 1. Estimates predict a boiling point of 297 °F (147 °C) and melting point of 160 °F (67 °C). This is a post-transition metal that belongs to the carbon group, together with elements such as lead, tin, germanium, silicon, and carbon. It is a p-block element, together with tellurium, arsenic, selenium, bromine, and other elements. The element’s volatility is comparable to elements such as copernicium, astatine, and mercury. Some scientists categorize it as a volatile metal. Flerovium has several manmade isotopes, including Fl-287, Fl-288, and Fl-289. None of the isotopes is stable. The longest-lived isotope of Flerovium has a half life of 2.6 seconds. Nuclear theory predicts that Fl-298 would be more stable than the element itself, but this has not been confirmed.

Isolation and Discovery
Prior to its discovery, Flerovium was known as Ununquadium (symbol Uuq). The element was produced through a fusion reaction between two isotopes, plutonium-244 and calcium-48. Five billion calcium atoms were used to make a single Flerovium atom. In 2009, researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory confirmed the discovery of Fl-287 and Fl-286. The team at the Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research confirmed the discovery of two isotopes, Fl-289 and Fl-288 in July the same year. The element was named after Georgy Flyorov, a Russian nuclear physicist and founder of FLNR. The element’s discovery was recognized and confirmed by IUPAC in 2011.

Uses and Biological Role
Flerovium has no uses outside of experimental chemistry and scientific research. It has no biological role or effect on the environment given the tiny amounts that have been isolated so far. Only 80 atoms have been detected to date. Some were the product of decay while others were artificially produced. Given its very short half life of less than 30 seconds, Flerovium decomposes quickly. Fl is only produced in nuclear reactors and does not occur in nature.

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