๐น Basic Information
- Element Name: Fermium
- Discovered By: Albert Ghiorso and team
- Year of Discovery: 1952
- Category: Actinide Series / Radioactive Metal
- Group: Actinides (no formal group number)
- State at Room Temperature: Solid ๐ง
Fermium is a man-made, highly radioactive metal created in nuclear explosions and particle accelerators. It does not occur naturally.
๐ธ Chemical Properties
- Chemical Symbol: Fm
- Atomic Number: 100
- Atomic Mass: ~257 u
- Valency: Usually +3
- Electronic Configuration: [Rn] 5fยนยฒ 7sยฒ
Fermium behaves like other actinides, typically forming Fmยณโบ ions in compounds.
๐ Basic Things to Know
Named after the famous physicist Enrico Fermi, who contributed greatly to nuclear physics, Fermium was first discovered in the debris of the first hydrogen bomb test.
๐ค Interesting Facts
- One of the heaviest actinides known
- Very rare and radioactive โ only tiny amounts have been made
- Has no practical uses outside scientific research due to its instability
- Helps scientists learn about the properties of superheavy elements
- Has multiple isotopes, all radioactive, with short half-lives
๐ง Common Uses
โ ๏ธ Fermium is used only in scientific research because of its radioactivity and scarcity.
โ๏ธ Research:
Studying Fermium helps scientists understand nuclear reactions and heavy element chemistry
๐ Conclusion
Fermium is a rare, radioactive element named after a nuclear physics pioneer. Though not used commercially, itโs important for scientific research and helps us explore the boundaries of chemistry and physics. For students, Fermium shows how nuclear science leads to discovering new elements in extreme conditions! ๐๐ฌ