It's Elemental
The Element Lawrencium
Lawrencium
Atomic Number: 103
Atomic Weight: 262
Melting Point: 1900 K (1627°C or 2961°F)
Boiling Point: Unknown
Density: Unknown
Phase at Room Temperature: Solid
Element Classification: Metal
Period Number: 7
Group Number: 3
Group Name: Actinide
Special Notes: Radioactive and Artificially Produced
What's in a name? Named after the scientist Ernest O. Lawrence.
Say what? Lawrencium is pronounced as lor-ENS-ee-em.
History and Uses:
Lawrencium was created by four American scientists, Albert Ghiorso, Torbjørn Sikkeland, Almon E. Larsh and Robert M. Latimer, in March, 1961. Working at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory in Berkeley, California, the scientists placed three micrograms (0.000003 grams) of californium in the target chamber of a device called a linear accelerator. The scientists used the accelerator to bombard the californium with boron ions. Several different isotopes of lawrencium were created and there is some confusion as to which isotope the group actually detected. Today, the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory is known as the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.
Lawrencium's most stable isotope, lawrencium-262, has a half-life of about 4 hours. It decays into nobelium-262 through electron capture, mendelevium-258 through alpha decay or through spontaneous fission.
Since only tiny amounts of lawrencium have ever been produced, there are currently no uses for it outside of basic scientific research.
Estimated Crustal Abundance: Not Applicable
Estimated Oceanic Abundance: Not Applicable
Number of Stable Isotopes: 0 (View all isotope data)
Ionization Energy: Unknown
Oxidation States: +3
1s2 | |
2s2 2p6 | |
3s2 3p6 3d10 | |
4s2 4p6 4d10 4f14 | |
5s2 5p6 5d10 5f14 | |
6s2 6p6 6d1 | |
7s2 |
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For questions about this page, please contact Carol McKisson.