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It's Elemental

The Element Nihonium

[Click for Isotope Data]

Nihonium

113 Nh Nihonium 286

Atomic Number: 113

Atomic Weight: 286

Melting Point: Unknown

Boiling Point: Unknown

Density: Unknown

Phase at Room Temperature: Expected to be a Solid

Element Classification: Metal

Period Number: 7

Group Number: 13

Group Name: none

Special Notes: Radioactive and Artificially Produced

What's in a name? Named for the country of Japan.

Say what? Nihonium is pronounced as nee-hone-ee-em.

History and Uses:

On July 23, 2004, scientists working at the RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-based Science in Wako, Japan, created the first two atoms of the element nihonium by accelerating zinc ions to 10 percent the speed of light and then impacting them onto a thin bismuth target. Both atoms quickly underwent a series of four alpha decays, forming dubnium-262, which then decayed by spontaneous fission.

Nihonium's most stable isotope, nihonium-286, has a half-life of about 20 seconds. It decays into roentgenium-282 through alpha decay.

Since only a few atoms of nihonium have ever been produced, it currently has no uses 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: Unknown

Electron Shell Configuration:

1s2

(Unconfirmed)

2s2   2p6

3s2   3p6   3d10

4s2   4p6   4d10   4f14

5s2   5p6   5d10   5f14

6s2   6p6   6d10

7s2   7p1

Citation and linking information

For questions about this page, please contact Carol McKisson.