Mendelevium

Berkeley 60-inch cyclotron

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Mendelevium is a chemical element with the symbol Md (formerly Mv) and atomic number 101. It is a synthetic element, and thus a standard quantity of it cannot be produced in nature. Mendelevium is a member of the actinide series, one of the 15 sequential elements between actinium and lawrencium in the periodic table; it is also one of the transuranium elements. Mendelevium was first discovered by Albert Ghiorso, Glenn T. Seaborg, Bernard G. Harvey, Gregory R. Choppin, and Stanley G. Thompson in 1955 at the University of California, Berkeley. It was named after Dmitri Mendeleev, the father of the periodic table of the elements.

Properties

Mendelevium is a highly radioactive metal, with no stable isotopes. The most stable isotope, mendelevium-258, has a half-life of about 51.5 days. It exhibits a complex electron configuration that contributes to its position in the actinide series and its chemical properties. Mendelevium's most common oxidation state is +2, although the +3 state is also known.

Synthesis

Mendelevium is produced artificially in particle accelerators through the bombardment of lighter elements with charged particles. A common method involves bombarding an einsteinium target with alpha particles (helium nuclei) in a particle accelerator. This process yields mendelevium-256, among other isotopes.

Applications

Due to its scarcity, high radioactivity, and short half-life, mendelevium has no significant commercial applications. Its use is mainly confined to scientific research, particularly in the study of the properties of transuranium elements and their chemistry.

History

The discovery of mendelevium in 1955 was part of a series of discoveries of transuranium elements that began in the early 20th century. The element was synthesized by a team at the University of California, Berkeley, by bombarding an einsteinium-253 target with alpha particles. The discovery was significant as it added another member to the growing list of synthetic elements, further expanding our understanding of the periodic table and the forces that govern the structure of the atomic nucleus.

See also

• Transuranium element
• Actinide series
• Synthetic elements
• Periodic table

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