The Newest Elements on the Periodic Table

If you discovered a new element, what would you name it? Would you name it after your favourite TV character? Your hometown? Yourself? The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) sets guidelines on naming chemical elements. They say that elements can be named after mythical characters, concepts, minerals, places, element properties, or scientists. However, once a name and symbol have been chosen, they can never be changed. So decide carefully!

In 2016, four new elements were added to the periodic table of elements. Let’s learn a little bit about these newest elements, and what they were named. But first, let’s learn about what chemical elements are.

What are chemical elements?

Chemical elements are the building blocks of chemistry. They make up all of the  ordinary matter of the universe. For example, oxygen is an element. It is the third-most abundant element in the universe. You can find it in water (H₂O) and many other molecules that living organisms rely on.

Each element has its own atomic number. The atomic number tells you the number of protons in an element. For example, carbon has an atomic number of 6. This means it has six protons. Protons have a positive electrical charge and are contained in the nucleus. The nucleus is a dense region located in the center of an atom.

Elements can also contain neutrons and electrons. Neutrons are a type of particle with approximately the same mass as a proton. Unlike protons, neutrons do not have any electrical charge. But like protons, they are found in the nucleus.

Electrons have a negative electrical charge. They are also much smaller and lighter. They orbit around the nucleus.

Did you know?

Atoms of a certain element have the same number of protons but can have different numbers of neutrons. These variants are called isotopes.

What is the periodic table?

The periodic table of elements is a table that arranges the chemical elements in a logical way. They are arranged based on their atomic number, electron configurations, and chemical properties. The rows of the periodic table are called periods. The columns are called groups.

The periodic table that we use today contains seven periods and 18 groups. This design lets you quickly find an element’s symbol, atomic number, and atomic mass. 

The table can also give you information on chemical properties. For example, elements on the left-hand side of the periodic table are generally metals. The elements on the right-hand side are generally non-metals.

When was the periodic table of elements last updated?

In 2016, four new elements were added to the periodic table. That means the seventh period of the periodic table is complete. 

Those four elements are numbered 113, 115, 117 and 118. The research groups that discovered them were from Japan, Russia, and the United States. Remember how we said elements could be named after a place? Well, three of these elements were named after the places where they were discovered. Their names are Nihonium, Moscovium and Tennessine. The fourth element is named Oganesson. It was named after a Russian nuclear physicist named Yuri Oganessian.

What are super heavy elements?

All four of the newest elements are highly unstable super heavy metals. Heavy elements are those that have an atomic number larger than 92. Super heavy elements usually have atomic numbers larger than 112. Super heavy elements are also more radioactive and unstable than other elements.

Super heavy elements do not occur in nature. The new elements were created in laboratories. Scientists use machines called particle accelerators to make ions (a charged element) of one element crash into the ions of another element. Ions are charged atoms. When the nuclei crash together, they may join together. If the nuclei join, a new element is created. But these artificially created elements only exist for a fraction of a second before they decay into other elements.

Did you know?

Particle accelerators propel charged particles to speeds close to the speed of light.  

Producing new elements is very difficult. The new elements all decay quickly. This happens because their nuclei are packed with a large number of protons. Protons are positively charged, so they repel each other. This makes the atoms highly unstable. For example, Nihonium has a half-life of just ten seconds. As the elements decay, they release particles and energy.

Did you know?  

Heavy metals aren't actually heavy at all! The term "heavy metal" refers to the element's high atomic weight (92-102) and high density.

Why were these four elements such a big deal when they were discovered? 

The newest heavy elements are important both scientifically and practically. Scientifically, the discovery can give scientists a better understanding of how nuclei are held together. This could, for example, lead to the development of safer and more efficient nuclear reactors.

Previously discovered heavy elements have also had practical applications. For example, Americium (Am) has been used in smoke detectors. Plutonium (Pu) has been used in nuclear weapons and also to power unmanned space probes. 

Right now, the four newest chemical elements are used only in research. But scientists expect that they will discover practical applications for them in the near future. 

Did you know?

The first artificial heavy element was created using particle accelerators at the University of California at Berkeley. This element, with atomic number 93, is now known as neptunium.

Although the seventh period of the periodic table of elements is now complete, the table itself may not be fully complete. Some scientists feel there are no limits to the periodic table. No one is sure how long it will take, but it is certainly possible for new elements to be discovered in the future. The periodic table of elements could one day have a whole new eighth row. If this happens, it’ll be time for a new periodic table poster in your chemistry classroom!