FORMATION OF ELEMENTS

IN THE LABORATORY
PHYSICAL SCIENCE: LESSON 2
Competency:
Explain how the concept of atomic
number lead to the synthesis of new
elements in the laboratory.
Objective:
Describe the formation of
synthetic elements.
Identify the atomic number, mass number,
number of protons, number of neutrons, and
the symbol for the missing elements.
LET’S ANALYZE THE PROBLEM…..
What is Nuclear Reaction???
Change in the identity or
characteristics of an atomic nucleus,
induced by bombarding it with an
energetic particle. The bombarding
particle may be an alpha particle, a
gamma ray photon, a neutron, a proton,
or a heavy ion.
Discovery of Nuclear Transmutation
Nuclear Transmutation Reaction – involves the
transformation of one element or isotope into another
element
- first carried out by Ernest Rutherford.
Discovery of Nuclear Transmutation
James Chadwick – discovered neutron when a neutral
particle was produced along with Carbon-12 by the
nuclear reaction between Be-9 and He-4.
Discovery of Nuclear Transmutation
The first synthesized element that does not occur
naturally on earth was technetium, Tc.
Bombardment of molybdenum by deuterons (heavy
hydrogen).
Discovery of Nuclear Transmutation
In 1925, missing elements in the periodic table, 43, 61,
85, & 87.
Two of the four were synthesized in the laboratory
using particle accelerator (device that speeds up proton
to overcome the repulsion of positive charges
involved).

ERNEST LAWRENCE
American Nuclear
Physicist
Discovery of Nuclear Transmutation
85th element : bombardment of Bismuth (Bi is 83rd
element and fast moving alpha particle).
85th element is called Astatine, At;Gr. “astatus”
meaning unstable
Discovery of Nuclear Transmutation
61st element, Promethium : discovered as a decay
product of fission of uranium.
87th element, Francium : discovered as a breakdown
product of actinium; synthetically can be produced by
bombarding thorium with protons or by bombarding
radium with neutrons
SYNTHESIS OF THE ELEMENT
Transuranic Elements- are elements artificially
produced in nuclear reactors or accelerators.
Cyclotron- a device used to accelerate (speeds-up)
particles to produce heavier nuclei upon hitting a target
nuclei.
Transuranic Elements- are elements artificially
produced in nuclear reactors or accelerators.
- Actinides: elements 93, Neptunium to 103,
Lawrencium
- Transactinides: elements 94, Rutherfordium to
118 ununoctium
Formation of Artificial Elements:
Study and analyze the nuclear reactions.
Curium (Z-96) was formed by reacting Plutonium, Pu
-239 with alpha particles He. It has a half life of 162
days.
Formation of Artificial Elements:
Study and analyze the nuclear reactions.
Mendelevium (Z-101) was formed by reacting
Einsteinium, Es-253 with alpha particles
Formation of Artificial Elements:
Study and analyze the nuclear reactions.
Meitnerium (Z-109) was formed by cold fusion which
involves the combination of Bismuth (Bi) and Iron
(Fe) nuclides at ordinary temperature.