In the corner of the Periodic Table: Do you know which is the heaviest chemical element?

Common sense can tell us The heaviest element in the periodic table should be a metal, but nothing is that simple in chemistry and physics. Also depending on what you mean by “heavy” the answer may be different.

This question was almost certainly asked on a high school chemistry exam. But was the answer you should have given the same as the teacher thought?

Some answers can be considered correct, especially if we consider weight, high density and lifespan as tiebreaking criteria.. Come see if you can get one of the elements right!

Heavyweight competitors on the periodic table

We can answer this immediately The heaviest element in the periodic table is oganesson, in the lower right corner of the table. It is the 118th element and its atomic mass is 294 u. It was discovered in 2006 at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Russia and named after nuclear physicist Yuri Oganessian.

The weight and properties of this substance, which has a half-life of milliseconds, have been estimated with theoretical predictions, since direct measurement is not yet possible. Another interesting feature The classification of this element as a noble gas may be quite surprising, since we are used to thinking of gases as having no weight..

But as I said before, not everything is that simple. If you look closely, you will notice that its neighbor Tennessean or Tennessee (117) also has a mass of 294 u..It would be a nice combination.

Like its rival, it has a millisecond half-life and is difficult to produce, implying that researchers could analyze and measure the element’s properties.

However, according to the models; Tennessean lost dispute over technical issue regarding nuclear distribution between protons, electrons and bond strength. Atomic behavior and properties are studied almost entirely indirectly. However, there is no guarantee that one day you will not receive the award.

A pound of lead or a pound of feathers?

I know you’re thinking about the bullet, and in a way you’re right. If the things we are dealing with are only natural and stable elements, that is, if they do not “disappear” over time, The leader would be the great champion.

An extra curiosity: weight and density are different things although they are dependent. In this case, if the question is looking for the densest, the previously mentioned elements will not be useful. If that is the case, the elements you are looking for are osmium (76) and iridium (77).

So there is a connection, as in the case of Tennesseans and Oganessonians, and the literature can be somewhat contradictory. Although it may not seem like it, the periodic table is constantly being revised and new products are being created and studied every day in laboratories around the world. Who knows, maybe other elements of this dispute will soon emerge?

Do you love chemistry and physics and want to learn more about the elements? If so, take the opportunity to understand how dark matter could have a special periodic table of invisible elements. Stay tuned to TecMundo for more curiosities and scientific developments!