Copernicium is named after Nicolaus Copernicus, who established that the earth orbits the sun. Painting by Jan Matejko.
Data Zone
| Classification: | Copernicium is a transition metal |
| Color: | |
| Atomic weight: | (285), no stable isotopes |
| State: | solid (presumed) |
| Melting point: | |
| Boiling point: | |
| Electrons: | 112 |
| Protons: | 112 |
| Neutrons in most abundant isotope: | 173 |
| Electron shells: | 2,8,18,32,32,18,2 |
| Electron configuration: | [Rn] 5f14 6d10 7s2 |
| Density @ 20oC: |
| Atomic volume: | – |
| Structure: | – |
| Hardness: | – |
| Specific heat capacity | – |
| Heat of fusion | – |
| Heat of atomization | – |
| Heat of vaporization | – |
| 1st ionization energy | – |
| 2nd ionization energy | – |
| 3rd ionization energy | – |
| Electron affinity | – |
| Minimum oxidation number | – |
| Min. common oxidation no. | – |
| Maximum oxidation number | – |
| Max. common oxidation no. | – |
| Electronegativity (Pauling Scale) | – |
| Polarizability volume | – |
| Reaction with air | – |
| Reaction with 15 M HNO3 | – |
| Reaction with 6 M HCl | - |
| Reaction with 6 M NaOH | – |
| Oxide(s) | - |
| Hydride(s) | – |
| Chloride(s) | – |
| Atomic radius | – |
| Ionic radius (1+ ion) | – |
| Ionic radius (2+ ion) | – |
| Ionic radius (3+ ion) | – |
| Ionic radius (1- ion) | – |
| Ionic radius (2- ion) | – |
| Ionic radius (3- ion) | – |
| Thermal conductivity | – |
| Electrical conductivity | – |
| Freezing/Melting point: | – |
Discovery of Copernicium
Copernicium was first made by research scientists led by Sigurd Hofmann at the Heavy Ion Research Laboratory in Darmstadt, Germany in 1996.
Scientists bombarded lead-208 nuclei with zinc-70 nuclei in a heavy ion accelerator.
A single atom of copernicium-277 resulted from the bombardment.
Atoms of copernicium-281, copernicium-281 and copernicium-284 have been recorded more recently as decay products of flerovium.
The element is named after astronomer and mathematician Nicolaus Copernicus.
Appearance and Characteristics
Harmful effects:
Copernicium is harmful due to its radioactivity.
Characteristics:
Copernicium is a synthetic radioactive metal and has only been produced in minute amounts.
Uses of Copernicium
Copernicium is of research interest only.
Abundance and Isotopes
Abundance earth’s crust: nil
Abundance solar system: parts per billion by weight, parts per trillion by moles
Cost, pure: $ per 100g
Cost, bulk: $ per 100g
Source: Copernicium is a synthetic radioactive metal, created via nuclear bombardment, and has only been produced in minute amounts. Copernicium is produced by bombarding 208Pb with 70Zn in a heavy ion accelerator.
Isotopes: Copernicium has 5 isotopes whose half-lives are known with mass numbers from 277 to 285. None are stable. The most stable isotope is 285Cn, with a half-life of 34 seconds.
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