38 Radioactive Elements and What They Are Used For

Symbol Half-life Named after:

Atomic number Scientist Mythological figure City/State/ XXX Country Planet EXTREMELY 3.6 h Laboratory Other RADIOACTIVE Discovered by and named Name origin: ELEMENTS for the Lawrence Berkeley Element name LAWRENCIUMXx Laboratory in 1958

110 118 12.7 sec 89 msec Named after Darmstadt, Honoring Yuri Oganessiana, Ds Germany, where it was Uses: Origin: Og pioneer in the discovery DARMSTADTIUM discovered/ synthesized OGANESSON of synthetic elements in a laboratory in 1994 Scientific Cancer Space Synthetic research treatment equipment

114 115 116 117 1.9 sec 220 msec 53 msec 80 msec Named after the Flerov In honor of Moscow, Honors the U.S. Lawrence Honors Tennessee, where Fl Laboratory of Nuclear Mc the capital of Russia, Lv Livermore National Ts many of the scientists on FLEROVIUM Reactions of the Joint MOSCOVIUM where it was created LIVERMORIUM Laboratory, which created TENNESSINE the Russian-American Institute for Nuclear in 2003 the element in 2000 team that created it in 2010 Research in Dubna, Russia, together with the JINR resided where it was discovered in 1998

Only a few atoms have been made. It can be used It provides valuable insights into the behavior of superheavy to make nihonium. ions

HIGHLY RADIOACTIVE ELEMENTS

85 87 102 103 8.1 hr 22 min 58 min 3.6 h From Greek astatos, Named in honor of France. Honors Alfred Nobel, Discovered by and named At meaning “unstable.” Fr 2nd rarest naturally No the inventor of dynamite Lr for the Lawrence Berkeley ASTATINE It’s the rarest naturally FRANCIUM occurring element; NOBELIUM and benefactor of science LAWRENCIUM Laboratory in 1958 occurring element the earth’s crust contains less than 1 gram at a time

Astatine-211 is used as a radioactive tracer and Diagnostics for cancer treatment; spectroscopic experiments in cancer treatment.

104 106 107 108 1.3 hr 14 min 61 sec 16 sec Honors New Zealand Honors American nuclear Honors Danish physicist Derived from the name of Rf scientist Ernest Rutherford Sg chemist Glenn T. Seaborg Bh Niels Bohr Hs the German state Hesse, RUTHERFORDIUM SEABORGIUM BOHRIUM HASSIUM where the element was first made in 1984

109 111 112 113 4.5 sec 100 sec 28 sec 10 sec Honors Austrian physicist Honors Wilhelm Conrad Honors Nicolaus Nihon is “Japan” in Mt Lise Meitner Rg Röntgen, who won Cn Copernicus, a Renaissance Nh Japanese. It was the first MEITNERIUM ROENTGENIUM a Nobel prize for COPERNICIUM mathematician who NIHONIUM element discovered in Asia. discovering X-rays proposed that the sun was at the center of the universe

May be used to harvest energy in the future

RADIOACTIVE ELEMENTS (Some practical use but with high health risks)

84 86 89 105 138.4 days 3.8 days 10 days 28 hr Named after Poland, the Derived from “radium,” Derived from Greek Named after the Russian Po native country of Marie Rn as it was first observed as Ac actinos, meaning “ray” Db town of Dubna POLONIUM Curie, who first isolated RADON an emission from radium ACTINIUM DUBNIUM the element during radioactive decay

Anti-static devices; heat source for space equipment; Early cancer treatment: Radon gas was sealed in tubes Powerful source of alpha rays; has been studied as a heat triggers for nuclear weapons and then inserted into tumors. source for use in space and as a possible cancer treatment

61 99 100 101 17.7 ys 20 days 100.5 days 51.5 days Named after Prometheus Named after Albert Named after nuclear Named after Dmitri Pm from Greek mythology, Es Einstein. It was discovered Fm physicist . Md Mendeleev, who created PROMETHIUM a titan who stole fire as a component of the It was first observed in MENDELEVIUM one of the first periodic from the gods and debris of the first hydrogen the fallout of the “Ivy Mike” tables granted it to humans bomb . hydrogen bomb test of 1952

Luminous paint; nuclear batteries for guided missiles; time-keeping devices; light sources

RADIOACTIVE ELEMENTS (Lower health hazards)

88 91 95 97 1,600 ys 1.17 min 432.2 ys 4.94 days From Latin radius, which From Greek protos, Named after America, Named after Berkeley, Ra means “ray” Pa meaning “first” Am where it was first made Bk California, where it was RADIUM PROTACTINIUM first made

Radiotherapy for cancer (especially bone cancer); luminous paints and clock faces Smoke detectors; may be used in spacecraft batteries Due to its rarity, it has no commercial or technological use 98 in the future currently. 2.6 ys Named after California, Cf where it was first made CALIFORNIUM

43 83 90 19 211,000 ys 2.01x10 ys 14 billion ys From the Greek tekhnetos, Comes from the German Named after Thor, the Portable metal detectors; identifying gold and silver ores; Tc meaning “artificial” Bi Bisemutum, a corruption Th Norse god of thunder detecting metal fatigue of airplanes TECHNETIUM BISMUTH of Weisse Masse, meaning THORIUM “white mass” RADIOACTIVE ELEMENTS

(Relatively Safe) Medical diagnostic studies; inhibits corrosion of steel Used in alloys for smoke detectors, extinguishers, fuses, Used to coat tungsten filaments for electronic devices; and solders; yellow paint; pearly effect in cosmetics; may be used for nuclear power in the future indigestion relief

92 93 94 96 4.47 billion ys 396 days 24,100 ys 163 days Named after the planet Named after the planet Named after the planet In honor of Pierre and U Uranus Np Neptune Pu Pluto Cm Marie Curie, radioactivity NEPTUNIUM pioneers

Nuclear submarines and weapons; nuclear power; depleted Used to coat tungsten filaments for electronic devices; Nuclear power; nuclear weapons; spacecraft energy Spacecraft energy uranium may be used as metal for ships, ammunition, may be used for nuclear power in the future and armor

Note: Half-lives vary depending on the specific isotope.

Sources: https://www.livescience.com https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table https://www.epa.gov/radiation/radioactive-decay