Atom-by-atom experiments at the edge of the periodic table
Only a few atoms of oganesson have ever been made – and they all vanished in less time than it took you to read this
Elements 104 and beyond are known as the superheavy elements. They do not exist on Earth, and must be created one atom at a time by smashing atoms of two lighter elements together in particle accelerators. The typical production rate varies depending on the element; some are one atom a week, some are one atom a day. The elements’ properties are also a hurdle: all known isotopes of the superheavy elements are unstable and highly radioactive. In most cases, any experiment must be performed in seconds if it stands any hope of success.
Despite the difficulty, experiments to confirm the superheavy elements’ place on the seventh row of the periodic table are being performed around the world. Meanwhile, scientists are working to create the next elements, but how will they fit into the periodic table – will we need to create new rows or even whole groups?