New Elements Hit The Periodic Table

Aerial view of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Scientific particle accelerator experiments dating back to 1998 and 2000 first postulated the existence of elements with atomic numbers 114 and 116, respectively. Flash us forward a dozen or so years and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry green-lights names, yesterday, May 31, 2012, for Flerovium (for element 114), and Livermorium (element 116). These two elemental newborns where previously called the dry, scientifically neutral names ununquadium and ununhexium. These new names honor Gerogiy Flerov, a Russian physicist, and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This laboratory is also named for Ernest O. Lawrence, inventor of the cyclotron style particle accelerator, and whom element 103, Lawrencium, was named after. The Atomic symbol for Flerovium will be “Fl”, and Livermorium will be “Lv”. While mostly a curiousity (these elements have atomic half-lives measured in seconds), mankind is better for knowing.