{"id":769,"date":"2012-06-03T09:24:34","date_gmt":"2012-06-03T09:24:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/?page_id=769"},"modified":"2017-12-07T02:07:25","modified_gmt":"2017-12-07T07:07:25","slug":"berkelium","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/berkelium.html","title":{"rendered":"Berkelium Element Facts"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"insidepagelinks\">\n<a href=\"#data\">Data Zone<\/a> |  <a href=\"#discovery\">Discovery<\/a> |    <a href=\"#facts\">Facts<\/a> | <a href=\"#appear\">Appearance &amp; Characteristics<\/a> | <a href=\"#uses\">Uses<\/a> | <a href=\"#abund\">Abundance &amp; Isotopes<\/a>  | <a href=\"#refer\">References<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rareT\">\n<div class=\"atnorT\">97<\/div>\n<div class=\"clearT\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"elnamT\">Bk<\/div>\n<div class=\"atweiT\"> (247)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The chemical element berkelium is classed as an actinide metal. It was discovered in 1949 by Stanley Thompson, Albert Ghiorso and Glenn Seaborg.<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"adsense300\">\n<div class=\"adsense300spacer\">\n<div style=\"line-height:10px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/www.chemicool.com\/ad.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9461632227417539\" data-ad-slot=\"8753977201\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"data\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Data Zone<\/h2>\n<table class=\"datatop\">\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Classification:<\/td>\n<td> Berkelium is an actinide metal  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Color:<\/td>\n<td>   silvery-white <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Atomic weight:<\/td>\n<td>  (247), no stable isotopes <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">State:<\/td>\n<td>    solid   <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Melting point:<\/td>\n<td> 986 <sup>o<\/sup>C,  1259.2 K    <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Boiling point:<\/td>\n<td>  2900 <sup>o<\/sup>C, 3173 K      <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Electrons:<\/td>\n<td>97<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Protons:<\/td>\n<td>97<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Neutrons in most abundant isotope:<\/td>\n<td>150<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Electron shells:<\/td>\n<td>  2,8,18,32,27,8,2  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Electron configuration:<\/td>\n<td>   [Rn] 5f<sup>9<\/sup> 7s<sup>2<\/sup>  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Density @ 20<sup>o<\/sup>C:<\/td>\n<td>  14.79 g\/cm<sup>3<\/sup>   <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<span class=\"collapseomatic \" id=\"id69e1a29bcc84c\"  tabindex=\"0\" title=\"Show more, including: Heats, Energies, Oxidation, Reactions,&lt;br \/&gt; Compounds, Radii, Conductivities\"    >Show more, including: Heats, Energies, Oxidation, Reactions,<br \/> Compounds, Radii, Conductivities<\/span><div id=\"target-id69e1a29bcc84c\" class=\"collapseomatic_content \">\n<table class=\"datatop\">\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Atomic volume:<\/td>\n<td>   16.7 cm<sup>3<\/sup>\/mol   <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Structure:<\/td>\n<td>  double hexagonal close packed <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Hardness: <\/td>\n<td>    mohs  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Specific heat capacity<\/td>\n<td> &#8211;  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Heat of fusion<\/td>\n<td> &#8211; <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Heat of atomization<\/td>\n<td> &#8211; <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Heat of vaporization<\/td>\n<td>  &#8211;  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">1<sup>st<\/sup> ionization energy<\/td>\n<td>  601 kJ mol<sup>-1<\/sup>  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">2<sup>nd<\/sup> ionization energy<\/td>\n<td>  &#8211;   <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">3<sup>rd<\/sup> ionization energy<\/td>\n<td>   &#8211;   <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Electron affinity<\/td>\n<td>  &#8211;  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Minimum oxidation number<\/td>\n<td>  0    <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Min. common oxidation no.<\/td>\n<td>  0   <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\"> Maximum oxidation number <\/td>\n<td> 4 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\"> Max. common oxidation no. <\/td>\n<td>  3  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\"> Electronegativity (Pauling Scale) <\/td>\n<td> 1.3   <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\"> Polarizability volume <\/td>\n<td>    22.7 &Aring;<sup>3<\/sup> <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\"> Reaction with air<\/td>\n<td>  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\"> Reaction with 15 M HNO<sub>3<\/sub> <\/td>\n<td>   <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\"> Reaction with 6 M HCl <\/td>\n<td>  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\"> Reaction with 6 M NaOH <\/td>\n<td>   <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\"> Oxide(s) <\/td>\n<td>  BkO, BkO<sub>2<\/sub>, BkO<sub>3<\/sub>, Bk<sub>2<\/sub>O<sub>3<\/sub> <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\"> Hydride(s) <\/td>\n<td>   BkH<sub>2<\/sub>, BkH<sub>3<\/sub>   <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\"> Chloride(s) <\/td>\n<td>  BkCl<sub>3<\/sub>  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Atomic radius <\/td>\n<td>     170 pm <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Ionic radius (1+ ion) <\/td>\n<td> &#8211; <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Ionic radius (2+ ion) <\/td>\n<td>   &#8211;  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Ionic radius (3+ ion) <\/td>\n<td>   96 pm <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\"> Ionic radius (1- ion) <\/td>\n<td>   &#8211;  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\"> Ionic radius (2- ion) <\/td>\n<td> &#8211; <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\"> Ionic radius (3- ion) <\/td>\n<td>   &#8211;  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\"> Thermal conductivity <\/td>\n<td> 10 W m<sup>-1<\/sup> K<sup>-1<\/sup> <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\"> Electrical conductivity <\/td>\n<td> &#8211; <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"elemglb\">Freezing\/Melting point:<\/td>\n<td> 986 <sup>o<\/sup>C,  1259.2 K    <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"leftimagepadding\">\n<div style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/chemicool.com\/elements\/images\/300-berkelium.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"158\" alt=\"Berkelium in solution\" class=\"size-full\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Berkelium-249, contained in the green solution in the tip of the vial, was used in the discovery of element 117, ununseptium. Image Ref.<sup>(5)<\/sup><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a id=\"discovery\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Discovery of Berkelium<\/h2>\n<div class=\"author\">Dr. Doug Stewart<\/div>\n<p>   Berkelium was the fifth synthetic transuranium element of the actinide series to be discovered.<\/p>\n<p>It was first produced in 1949 by Stanley Thompson, Albert Ghiorso and Glenn Seaborg in California, USA.<\/p>\n<p>The scientists bombarded 7 milligrams of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/americium.html\">americium-241<\/a> with alpha particles in the 60-inch cyclotron in Berkeley, California.  <sup>(1), (2)<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>Each nuclear reaction produced berkelium-243 (half-life 4.5 hours) and two neutrons. <sup>(2)<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>The new element was separated and identified chemically by a combination of precipitation methods and high temperature ion-exchange columns. <sup>(2)<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>Berkelium was isolated in greater quantities for the first time by Burris Cunningham and Stanley Thompson in 1958 at the Materials Testing Reactor in Arco, Idaho by prolonged (five years) neutron irradiation of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/plutonium.html\">plutonium-239<\/a>. Approximately 0.6 micrograms of berkelium and 1.2 micrograms of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/californium.html\">californium<\/a> were synthesized. <sup>(3)<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>The first bulk (>1 mg) samples of berkelium metal were prepared in early 1969 by the reduction of BkF<sub>3<\/sub> with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/lithium.html\">lithium<\/a> metal vapor at about 1300 K. <sup>(4)<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>The element was named after the city of Berkeley, California where it was first produced. The choice of element name was in keeping with some of the other actinides, whose names follow the pattern of the lanthanide elements directly above them in the periodic table. <\/p>\n<p>The lanthanide above berkelium is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/terbium.html\">terbium<\/a>, named after the place of its discovery, Ytterby, a village in Sweden.<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; line-height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"adsense300\">\n<div class=\"adsense300spacer\">\n<div style=\"line-height: 10px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/www.chemicool.com\/ad.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 336px; height: 280px;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9461632227417539\" data-ad-slot=\"2986645201\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"leftimagepadding\">\n<div style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/images\/300-High-Flux-Isotope-Reactor.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" alt=\"Oak Ridge National Laboratory\" class=\"size-full\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aerial View of the High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory where berkelium has been produced.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LxFXX0-hUYQ?rel=0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"youtubecaption\">Transuranium elements discovery and experiments. 1963 chemistry educational documentary narrated by Glenn Seaborg, Stanley Thompson and Albert Ghiorso.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a id=\"appear\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Appearance and Characteristics<\/h3>\n<p>\t  <strong>Harmful effects:<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>\tBerkelium is harmful due to its radioactivity.<\/p>\n<p>\t  <strong>Characteristics:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\t\tBerkelium is a silvery-white highly radioactive metal.<\/p>\n<p>\t\tIt is chemically reactive, oxidizing slowly in air.<br \/>\n\t\tThe oxidation may be slow because of the initial formation of a thin protective oxide layer. <sup>(4a)<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>\t\tBerkelium metal is dimorphic: double hexagonal close packed at room temperature and face centered cubic at higher temperatures. <sup>(4b)<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>\t\tThe metal dissolves rapidly in aqueous mineral acids, liberating hydrogen gas and forming Bk (III) in solution. <sup>(4c)<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>\t\tBk (III) ions are green in most mineral acid solutions. <br \/>\n\t\tBk (IV) ions are yellow in HCl solution. <sup>(4d)<\/sup><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"uses\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Uses of Berkelium<\/h2>\n<p>\t\tBerkelium is of scientific research interest only. <\/p>\n<p>\t\tBerkelium-249 is used as a target material for the production of heavier actinides such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/lawrencium.html\">lawrencium-260<\/a>. <sup>(4e)<\/sup><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"abund\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Abundance and Isotopes<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"elemgl\">Abundance earth&#8217;s crust:<\/span>  0 parts per million by weight, 0 parts per million by moles<\/p>\n<p>\t\t<span class=\"elemgl\">Abundance solar system:<\/span> 0 parts per billion by weight, 0 parts per billion by moles<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elemgl\">Cost, pure:<\/span>  $ per g<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elemgl\">Cost, bulk:<\/span>  $ per 100g<\/p>\n<p>\t\t<span class=\"elemgl\">Source:<\/span> Berkelium is produced in miniscule amounts in nuclear reactors such as the High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee by nuclear bombardment of plutonium, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/curium.html\">curium<\/a> or americium with alpha particles.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t<span class=\"elemgl\">Isotopes:<\/span> Berkelium has 12 isotopes whose half-lives are known, with mass numbers 232 to 247. Berkelium has no naturally occurring isotopes. Its longest lived isotopes are <sup>247<\/sup>Bk, with a half-life of 1380 years, <sup>249<\/sup>Bk with a half-life of 320 days and <sup>245<\/sup>Bk with a half-life of 4.94 days.<\/p>\n<div style=\"max-width: 750px;\">\n<div style=\"line-height: 10px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/www.chemicool.com\/ad.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9461632227417539\" data-ad-slot=\"8753977201\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a id=\"refer\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h4>References<\/h4>\n<ol>\n<li>John Emsley, Nature&#8217;s building blocks: an A-Z guide to the elements., Oxford University Press, 2003 p53. <\/li>\n<li> Glenn T. Seaborg, Modern alchemy: selected papers of Glenn T. Seaborg.,World Scientific, 1994, page 789. <\/li>\n<li> B. B. Cunningham, Berkelium and Californium., Journal of Chemical Education, Vol 36.1 (1959) p35. <\/li>\n<li>David E. Hobart and Joseph R. Peterson, The Chemistry of the Actinide and Transactinide Elements., Springer., Vol 3.10, p1457; 4a. p1460; 4b. p1458; 4c. p1461; 4d. p1472; 4e. p1447.<\/li>\n<li>Photo: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ornl.gov\/\">ORNL<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h4>Cite this Page<\/h4>\n<p>For online linking, please copy and paste one of the following:<\/p>\n<pre class='code'>\r\n&lt;a href=\"https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/berkelium.html\"&gt;Berkelium&lt;\/a&gt;\r\n<\/pre>\n<p>or<\/p>\n<pre class='code'>\r\n&lt;a href=\"https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/berkelium.html\"&gt;Berkelium Element Facts&lt;\/a&gt;\r\n<\/pre>\n<p>To cite this page in an academic document, please use the following MLA compliant citation:<\/p>\n<pre class='code'>\r\n\"Berkelium.\" Chemicool Periodic Table. Chemicool.com. 15 Oct. 2012. Web. <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n<!--\r\nvar currentTime = new Date()\r\nvar month = currentTime.getMonth() + 1\r\nvar day = currentTime.getDate()\r\nvar year = currentTime.getFullYear()\r\ndocument.write(month + \"\/\" + day + \"\/\" + year)\r\n\/\/-->\r\n<\/script> \r\n&lt;https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/berkelium.html&gt;.<\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Data Zone | Discovery | Facts | Appearance &amp; Characteristics | Uses | Abundance &amp; Isotopes | References 97 Bk (247) The chemical element berkelium is classed as an actinide metal. It was discovered in 1949 by Stanley Thompson, Albert Ghiorso and Glenn Seaborg. Data Zone Classification: Berkelium is an actinide metal Color: silvery-white Atomic [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-769","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=769"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/769\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4204,"href":"https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/769\/revisions\/4204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}