meitnerium
Definition
Meitnerium is a chemical element with the symbol Mt and atomic number 109. It is a synthetic element, meaning it has never been found in nature. It was first created in 1982 by a team of scientists at the Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung (GSI) in Darmstadt, Germany.
Meitnerium is made by colliding atoms of bismuth-209 with atoms of iron-58. The collision produces a very unstable atom of meitnerium, which quickly decays into other elements.
Meitnerium is a very heavy element, with a mass that is about 250 times the mass of a hydrogen atom. It is also a very dense element, with a density that is about 10 times the density of lead.
Meitnerium is a very unstable element, with a half-life of only 22 seconds. This means that half of the meitnerium atoms that are created will decay into other elements in 22 seconds.
Meitnerium is a member of the actinide series, which is a group of elements that are all radioactive. The actinides are all located in the bottom-left corner of the periodic table.
Meitnerium is named after Lise Meitner, an Austrian physicist who was a pioneer in the study of nuclear fission. Meitnerium is a very important element in the study of nuclear physics. By studying meitnerium, scientists can learn more about the properties of heavy elements and the process of nuclear fission.
How can the word be used?
Scientists have created meitnerium by colliding atoms of californium-249 with ions of calcium-48.
Different forms of the word
Noun:
The chemical element with the atomic number 109, a synthetic element that has not been found in nature.
Adjective:
Relating to or containing meitnerium.
Etymology
The word "meitnerium" is named after Lise Meitner, an Austrian physicist who was a pioneer in the study of nuclear fission.
The word "meitnerium" was first used in 1997, when it was officially named by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).
Question
What is meitnerium and how is it used?
AQA Science Exam Question and Answer
Question:
Define meitnerium and explain its significance in the periodic table. Discuss its discovery and the challenges associated with synthesising and studying this element.
Answer:
Meitnerium (Mt) is a synthetic element with the atomic number 109, denoted by the symbol Mt. It belongs to the transactinide series of the periodic table, a group of elements that are highly unstable and artificially produced through nuclear reactions.
Meitnerium is named in honour of the Austrian-Swedish physicist Lise Meitner, who made significant contributions to nuclear physics. It is a superheavy element that is not found naturally and can only be created in laboratories using particle accelerators. Its most stable isotope, meitnerium-278, has a very short half-life of only a few milliseconds, making it extremely challenging to study.
The discovery of meitnerium was achieved through complex nuclear reactions involving the fusion of heavy nuclei. These experiments required sophisticated equipment and advanced techniques to detect and confirm the presence of the element.
The significance of meitnerium lies in its position in the periodic table, helping to expand our understanding of the properties and behaviour of heavy elements. Although meitnerium has limited practical applications due to its instability and short-lived nature, its synthesis contributes to our knowledge of nuclear physics and the underlying structure of matter. Studying superheavy elements like meitnerium contributes to our exploration of the fundamental forces that govern the universe and aids in refining our models of nuclear behaviour.