When was berkelium discovered

Most of the available information is based on predicted properties , based on the element's location on the periodic table. It is a paramagnetic metal and has one of the lowest bulk modulus values of the actinides.

Under ordinary conditions, berkelium metal assumes hexagonal symmetry, transforming to a face-centered cubic structure under pressure at room temperature, and an orthorhombic structure upon compression to 25 GPa. Berkelium is a member of the actinide element group or transuranium element series. Berkelium is pronounced as BURK-lee-em.

The element is named after Berkeley, California, where it was discovered. The element californium is also named for this lab. Berkelium has a traditional shiny, metallic appearance.

It is a soft, radioactive solid at room temperature. All of the isotopes of berkelium are radioactive. Berkelium was the first isotope to be produced. The most stable isotope is berkelium, which has a half-life of years, eventually decaying into americium via alpha decay. About 20 isotopes of berkelium are known. Berkelium chloride BkCl 3 was the first Bk compound produced in sufficient quantity to be visible.

The compound was synthesized in and weighed approximately 3 billionths of a gram. Materials by Application. Life Science Chemicals. About Us. Share This Page. Email Tweet Facebook. Berkelium Bk 97 About Berkelium Properties Isotopes. About Berkelium Berkelium is a transuranic member of the actinide series, with a silvery-white appearance. General Properties.

Physical Properties. This was the first time that visible amounts of a pure berkelium compound had been produced. Like other actinides, berkelium accumulates in skeletal tissue and is therefore highly toxic to humans.

The element has not found any uses yet outside of basic research and plays no known biological role. Nevertheless its discovery was an important step towards the synthesis of the superheavy elements and has served to test theories of nuclear physics as well as showing that the predictions of the periodic table are fulfilled well beyond the elements for which it was originally devised. Sp playing a pivotal role in fundamental chemistry and physics, while also testing the chemical knowledge of postal services worldwide.

Now next week, an element that requires a magic touch - as long as you don't get too close. The next exciting thing about caesium, is that my love is not unrequited, it responds to my touch.

Strictly speaking, it's the warmth from the hand that melts it, given that its melting point is only So just holding its container converts the crystalline solid into liquid gold. Liquid metals are always fascinating - everyone loves mercury; just imagine playing with liquid gold! But here's the snag that adds to my fascination with this metal - it has a rather fiery temper. In fact, you can't actually touch the metal itself since it spontaneously bursts into flames in the presence of air and reacts explosively with water.

Awkward indeed. My caesium is sealed inside a glass tube under an atmosphere of the chemically inert gas argon. So to play with it, you have to hold the glass tube, knowing that if you accidentally crushed it, or dropped it, all hell would break loose. And as well as a possible adrenalin rush, join Cambridge University's Peter Wothers for more exciting facts about the liquid gold element that is caesium in next week's Chemistry in its element.

Until then thank you for listening, I'm Meera Senthilingam. Chemistry in its element is brought to you by the Royal Society of Chemistry and produced by thenakedscientists. There's more information and other episodes of Chemistry in its element on our website at chemistryworld. Click here to view videos about Berkelium.

View videos about. Help Text. Learn Chemistry : Your single route to hundreds of free-to-access chemistry teaching resources. We hope that you enjoy your visit to this Site. We welcome your feedback. Data W. Haynes, ed. Version 1. Coursey, D. Schwab, J. Tsai, and R. Dragoset, Atomic Weights and Isotopic Compositions version 4.

Periodic Table of Videos , accessed December Podcasts Produced by The Naked Scientists. Download our free Periodic Table app for mobile phones and tablets. Explore all elements. D Dysprosium Dubnium Darmstadtium. E Europium Erbium Einsteinium. F Fluorine Francium Fermium Flerovium. G Gallium Germanium Gadolinium Gold. I Iron Indium Iodine Iridium. K Krypton. O Oxygen Osmium Oganesson.

U Uranium. V Vanadium. X Xenon. Y Yttrium Ytterbium. Z Zinc Zirconium. Membership Become a member Connect with others Supporting individuals Supporting organisations Manage my membership. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Youtube. Discovery date. Discovered by. Origin of the name. Berkelium was named after the town Berkeley, California, where it was first made. Melting point. Thompson, Glenn T. Seaborg, Kenneth Street Jr. Initial investigations were limited to tracer experiments ion exchange and co-precipitation but in experiments were initiated to provide macro amounts of berkelium.

Berkelium is the eighth member of the actinide transition series.