You may know it as Ununbium or Element 112, though soon this element will have a 'real' name. A team led by Sigurd Hofmann at the Centre for Heavy Ion Research announced the discovery of the unstable element back in 1996. One atom of Element 112 resulted from firing a stream of zinc ions at a lead target. The unstable atom decayed within milliseconds, yet its existence was indicated by the energy that was released. Since that time, a total of 4 atoms of Element 112 have been produced, which apparently is enough to finally gain recognition for the discovery by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry or IUPAC. Now Hofmann's team is permitted to submit an official name for the element, which will replace the temporary name of Ununbium ("ununbi" meaning "1-1-2" in Latin). I would think after over a decade, Hofmann would have a name ready and waiting, but apparently it is still under consideration. The team is working to replicate results observed by Russian researchers who have claimed to have produced Element 118. Additionally, they are trying to form Element 120.
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Comments
wow. must be a good challenge. The periodic table might as well expand
Why not give the naming rights up to a nationwide (the country in which the formation of the element occured) — or global — competition? Engage students across the world in at least this one part of atomic physics that everyone can grasp? As part of the competition, educate students on how elements have been named in the past. Let students themselves decide upon the final name — perhaps a global group of students working together to collect and discuss submitted names. It’s just a thought. It’d be much more useful than a spelling bee, and more significant than anything a debating club might do.
Sometimes a rose by any other name smells bad.
i think thats good for science,because researech opportunity still existing in the field of chemistry to find another elements like this
Maybe I’m a little behind the times, but I’m thinking that, if only 4 atoms of “ununbium” has ever been produced, and nobody’s sure if they ever produce any more of it, it’s not terribly useful! I don’t think it’s ready for a place on the Periodic Table yet, and I hope that not a lot of money is going into this research — there are other, more important, things to do with available money!
“Ununbium” is pretty archaic; I like “The Hofmann Particle”, “Hofmatomitus”, and “Perbreviter Dimidiatus Vitae” – Latin for “Very Short Half-Life”. But I definitely respect and would expect Hofmann to name the element whatever he wants! He did the work. It’s His Discovery
Last week Rachel Maddow came up with “the” name: Recognizing the short term, unstable nature of the 112 she called it something to the effect of
willtogotothegymium.
Thats gr8 but I hope the of element 112 will be easy enough for students to remember.
TJ, your suggestion about global naming is stupid. The discoverer alone should have the honor of naming the element – much as the parents of a newborn baby have that right.
Since elements 113 through 118 have been discovered but not named, I have my own suggestions, listed alphabetically, with no proposed name correspondng to a particular element:
Heisenbergium Symbol Hb
Kelvinium Symbol Ke
Newtonium Symbol Nt
Paulium Symbol Pl
Planckium Symbol Pk
Torricellium Symbol To
These are named after Werner Heisenberg, Lord Kelvin, Isaac Newton, Wolfgang Pauli, Max Planck, and Evangelista Torricelli, respectively. The final decision rests with the discoverers, of course, but I’m offering my suggestions freely.