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darmstadtium

Primary Information
Secondary Information

Definition

Darmstadtium is a synthetic element, meaning that it does not occur naturally. It was first created in 1994 by a team of scientists at the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt, Germany.

Darmstadtium is a member of the transactinide series, which is a group of elements that are heavier than uranium. The transactinide elements are all very radioactive, and they have very short half-lives.

The half-life of darmstadtium is about 28 seconds. This means that half of a sample of darmstadtium will decay into other elements in 28 seconds.

Darmstadtium is a very important element for scientists. It is helping them to understand the properties of the heaviest elements.

How can the word be used?

Darmstadtium is an extremely radioactive element.

darmstadtium

Different forms of the word

The word "darmstadtium" is a noun that refers to an artificial element with the symbol Ds and atomic number 110. It was first synthesised in 1994 by a team of German and Russian scientists at the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt, Germany. The name "darmstadtium" was chosen in honour of the city of Darmstadt, where the element was first synthesised.

Etymology

The word "darmstadtium" is named after the German city of Darmstadt, where it was first synthesised in 1994. The name "darmstadtium" was proposed by the team of German and Russian scientists who discovered the element.

Question

What is darmstadtium?

AQA Science Exam Question and Answer

Question:

Darmstadtium is a synthetic element with a relatively short half-life. Discuss its discovery, main properties, and its significance in the field of nuclear physics.

Answer:

  • Darmstadtium, with the atomic number 110 and the symbol Ds, is a synthetic element not found naturally on Earth. It was first synthesised in 1994 by a team of German scientists at the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt, Germany.
  • Darmstadtium is highly unstable and has a short half-life, making it challenging to study its properties in detail. Due to its extreme rarity and fleeting existence, its main properties are primarily inferred from theoretical calculations and indirect measurements.
  • In the field of nuclear physics, darmstadtium holds significant importance. Its creation in laboratories allows scientists to explore the fundamental principles of nuclear reactions, nuclear decay, and the behaviour of superheavy elements. Understanding darmstadtium's properties contributes to our knowledge of the stability and behaviour of elements beyond the known periodic table and provides insights into nuclear reactions under extreme conditions.