homehome Home chatchat Notifications


Four elements earn a permanent place in the periodic table

The seventh row of the periodic table is now officially full - we just have to set a name for the newcomers.

Mihai Andrei
January 4, 2016 @ 1:07 pm

share Share

The seventh row of the periodic table is now officially full – we just have to set a name for the newcomers.

Elements 113, 115, 117 and 118 are the latest additions to the periodic table. The four new elements will get names soon to replace the temporary “Uu” name holders.

The periodic table is the tabular arrangement of the chemical elements that revolutionized chemistry and enabled a systematic study of all chemical elements. The periodic table orders elements by the number of protons in the nucleus (the so-called atomic number), but also by electron configurations, and recurring chemical properties.

Officially, all elements from atomic numbers 1 (hydrogen) to 118 (ununoctium) have been discovered – with the last four just being recently confirmed. The first 94 elements have been discovered in nature, while all others have been synthesized artificially. Scientists have shown that elements 95 to 100 once occurred in nature but currently do not.

The last four elements

The new elements are called Ununtrium, Ununpentium, Ununseptium and Ununoctium – but these are just name holders representing their atomic number. They were basically created by mashing lighter nuclei into each other.

“The chemistry community is eager to see its most cherished table finally being completed down to the seventh row,” said Professor Jan Reedijk, president of the Inorganic Chemistry Division of IUPAC.

The new elements were synthesized by scientists in Japan, Russia and America, working at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. The discoverers will now be able to submit names which the IUPAC will approve.

“IUPAC has now initiated the process of formalising names and symbols for these elements temporarily named as ununtrium, (Uut or element 113), ununpentium (Uup, element 115), ununseptium (Uus, element 117), and ununoctium (Uuo, element 118).”

share Share

Your gut has a secret weapon against 'forever chemicals': microbes

Our bodies have some surprising allies sometimes.

High IQ People Are Strikingly Better at Forecasting the Future

New study shows intelligence shapes our ability to forecast life events accurately.

Cheese Before Bed Might Actually Be Giving You Nightmares

Eating dairy or sweets late at night may fuel disturbing dreams, new study finds.

Scientists Ranked the Most Hydrating Drinks and Water Didn't Win

Milk is more hydrating than water. Here's why.

Methane Leaks from Fossil Fuels Hit Record Highs. And We're Still Looking the Other Way

Powerful leaks, patchy action, and untapped fixes keep methane near record highs in 2024.

Astronomers Found a Star That Exploded Twice Before Dying

A rare double explosion in space may rewrite supernova science.

This Enzyme-Infused Concrete Could Turn Buildings into CO2 Sponges

A new study offers a greener path for concrete, the world’s dirtiest building material.

AI Helped Decode a 3,000-Year-Old Babylonian Hymn That Describes a City More Welcoming Than You’d Expect

Rediscovered text reveals daily life and ideals of ancient Babylon.

Peeling Tape Creates Microlightning Strong Enough To Power Chemistry

Microlightning from everyday tape may unlock cleaner ways to drive chemical reactions.

Menstrual Cups Passed a Brutal Space Test. They Could Finally Fix a Major Problem for Many Astronauts

Reusable menstrual cups pass first test in space-like flight conditions.